Greetings All!
If you've ever received a CSA, you've probably looked at a bundle of either swiss chard or kale in the fridge and wondered what you were going to do with it. Pesto can be one of the answers.
This recipe blends up swiss chard but you could sub in any green. Same for the "nutty" component; I opted for sunflower seeds but you could plug in any nut or seed you fancy.
Swiss Chard Pesto
Ingredients:
~~1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds (Here's a link on how to do this)
~~2 small cloves of garlic
~~1 whole lemon
~~2 bunches of swiss chard (around 1#), leaves removed from stem
~~1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
~~1/2 tsp salt
How to:
*This recipe uses a food processor & microplane grater. If you don't have a grater, you can thinly shave lemon zest off with a sharp knife instead.
Bring to Boil: salted water for blanching the chard in a large pot (I use a 1/2 full 8 QT pot).
Combine: toasted sunflower seeds and peeled garlic cloves in the food processor.
Grate: lemon zest* off of lemon and add to food processor. *Make sure to only take the first layer as the white adds a bitter flavor.
Blend: this mixture until it resembles very course sand. Let this hang out and wait for the chard.
Once Boiling: add the swiss chard leaves to the water and let cook for 1 min.
Remove: them from the hot bath with a slotted spoon or sieve and rinse with cool water.
Squeeze: the liquid out and add to the food processor.
Add in: juice from the lemon, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and salt.
Blend: until desired consistency. Enjoy! It's great on pasta, with scrambled eggs, as the base for pizza, or blended with a can of white beans for a delicious dip.
Note: Keep those chard stems around. Sliced thin they make a great addition to scrambled eggs. Or, pickle them like in this recipe from bon appétit.
Happy Cookings!