CG "Pesto"

On Monday, I went to my parents'-in-law (PILs') house and gathered up my lovingly cared for tomato and pepper plants and picked some beets and carrots. If you garden in Alaska you know that carrots don't grow huge here - but are quite delicious and usually quite sweet. So, my carrots - not wanting to be unique and grow huge - were about three to four inches but had greens over a foot high! I was instantly ruminating the possibility of eating carrot greens - I didn't know anyone who had ever pursued the tops as a palatable food and so I had to resort to foodgawker and google . . .

On Tuesday I perused the internet and Foodgawker came up with a soup that included carrots, rice and carrot greens - among other ingredients - under the guise of being "Tuscan Carrot-Top Soup." Well, in the Alaskan summer I didn't think soup was very fitting, but I came across a carrot green "pesto" recipe! I am not a fan of people using anything but basil, olive oil, garlic and pine nuts in pesto - but I had to give the carrot greens a try! What a delightful result!

The "pesto" has a good taste to it,  lighter than traditional pesto. I think it would be most delicious on traditional potato gnocchi or even on halibut!

One word to the wise on this - I know there are a lot of picky people out there and I suggest NOT calling it "carrot green pesto." Whenever I will be making this in the future, for my husband or others, I am just going to refer to it as "CG Pesto!"

 

  

RECIPE:

1 bunch of carrot greens - "stalks" removed, just the skinny stems with leaves left

3 cloves of garlic

1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano (or pecorino) cheese, grated
1/4 cup pignoli (pine nuts)

olive oil

Blend everything in a food processor (or similar). Pulse until finely chopped and then begin adding in olive oil until it gets to a "smooth," paste-like texture. Pesto is just something you know when it is done. :-)

Happy eating and enjoy the use of uncommon ingredients!

Cheers,

SB