Kale + Spinach Pesto

Did you know that you can make pesto out of pretty much anything? It's true. Pesto just means "paste" in Italian. All you really need is some fresh ingredients and a way to grind them up together and, bam, you have pesto.

Now, traditionalists will tell you that pesto contains fresh basil, pine nuts and parmigian cheese. Personally, I don't go in for the whole "traditional" thing. Nor do I go in for the whole, "cheese" thing or the whole "forty-dollar-a-pound-pine-nut" thing. I make pesto my way and this week that meant making it with kale, spinach and reasonably-priced cashews.

Ok, you wanna know the truth? I had a heck of a lot of kale on my hands. I was forced to harvest our entire crop after aphids thad their way with my sad little brassicas. I also had a bunch of lovely local spinach from my friends at Bounce Back Farms. And as usual, I had some olive oil, garlic, lemons and cashews kickin' around. So, this pesto was inevitable.

And you know the best thing? Pesto is good with everything. Pasta is just the beginning. Pesto loves sandwiches, salad, pizza and chicken. It's also amazing when paired with this other versatile wonder and scrambled.

This recipe makes a generous two cups. Too much? Go ahead and half it. Or, you can do what I did: put some in a jar in the fridge (which will last about two weeks), and put the rest into ice-cube trays, pop out when frozen and save for later use.

The traditional way to make pesto is with a mortar and pestle. Unless you have a giant mortar and the desire to get a great arm workout, I'd use a food processor I were you.

Ingredients:
4 cups packed fresh kale

2 cups fresh spinach
1 handful of fresh parsley
3-5 cloves of garlic (depending on your taste)
1 cup whole raw cashews (or the nut of your choice)
1/2-1 tsp sea salt (to your taste)
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Juice of 1 whole lemon
1/3-1/2 cup Olive Oil (add more/less for thicker/thinner pesto)

Coarsely chop kale and process in food processor until sem-fine. Add in spinach and parsley and repeat.

Add garlic, cashews, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Pulse until fine and crumbly, being careful to not to let the cashews turn into a paste.

With the lid on you food processor, turn on and slowly add olive oil until desired consistency is obtained.

Store in the fridge for about two weeks or freeze for about two months.

Put your pesto on some baguette with a fresh tomato, goat cheese and balsamic reduction. It will change your life.

Kale Chips

Kale! Deep and leafy green. Hearty and healthful.

I used to be intimidated by this beautiful, yet elusive veggie. Frankly, I just did not know what to do with it. Though I knew that  kale is an excellent source of vitamins, anti-oxidants and all that other super-food stuff, I just didn't know how to incorporate it into my diet.

Enter the kale chip. 

If you suffer from the same bewilderment I once did, then give these babies a try. A guaranteed easy remedy to kale-o-phobia and the beginning of a beautiful veggie friendship (I promise).

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale, rinsed

2-3 tbsp. olive oil

sea salt to taste*

*A note on SALT: I used Maldon salt on my chips as it has light flaky crystals and a nice taste. You don't have to use fancy salt like this, but if you have it (or fleur de sel) why not put it to good use?
And if you're feeling brave, why not experiment and throw some other spices in there? I recommend fresh ground pepper, garlic powder and cayenne.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (Fahrenheit).
Remove kale leaves from thick center stalks. You want to keep the leaves in large pieces, so a knife works better than hands for this job.
Toss leaves in olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt (and any other desired spices).
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until chips are crisp.

Pile into a bowl and make sure you get some before they disappear into the mouths of  the supposed meat and potatoes crowd.

For more on the benefits of kale visit here.