Herb Flower Pesto

Herb Flower Pesto

Info

Rating
Calories
528.0
Protein
7.0
Sodium
315.0
Fat
47.0

Description

This fantastic pesto combines the complex flavors of various herb flowers—use whatever you have on hand. After the herbs bloom but before they set seed, grab some blossoms and grind them up. You can use this pesto on pasta or bruschetta, but it also makes a great topping for fish or marinade for poultry, beef, or pork.

Ingredients

3/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts, toasted*
3 1/2 cups herb flowers such as basil, sage, and rosemary**
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Directions

  1. Pulse nuts, herb flowers, garlic, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Whir in olive oil and Parmesan, if using.
  2. *Spread nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in a 350°F oven—tossing occasionally, for a consistent color—for about 8 minutes, or until they start to turn golden brown and release a strong nutty scent.
  3. **Fennel, lemon balm, and marjoram flowers also make good pesto.
  4. If you want to store a bit of summer in a jar, put this pesto in your freezer and pull it out when you are most coveting spicy sunny days. I freeze mine in an ice cube tray and then transfer the frozen cubes to freezer bags so I can use a bit at a time.

Tags

    Food Processor Cheese Dairy Nut Parmesan Tree Nut Pine Nut Summer
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