Running With Quills: Jayne Goes Green for Summer

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Sunday, June 10, 2007

Jayne Goes Green for Summer

Summer means a lot of things to people -- flip-flops, sunglasses, tee-shirts -- but to me it means PESTO! I love the stuff and I always make my own. The pesto that comes in jars is always too runny and way too garlicky for my taste. I've done a lot of experimenting over the years and the pesto that has evolved in my kitchen bears little resemblance to the traditional version. (My apologies to purists but, hey, I'm the one who eats it so I'm having it my way).

Speaking of eating it, back in our pre-carb-counting days I used pesto on pasta -- a lot. I also ladled it over baked potatoes. Yum! Sadly, we no longer eat pasta here in the Krentz household but I have discovered a world of new ways to enjoy pesto. It is fabulous with feta cheese, for instance, and it makes a great topping for fish or soyburgers. If you're still eating bread (we do eat the low-carb version) it is a terrific sandwich spread. If you process a very coarse version you'll get a wonderful side dish that can be served with anything.

So, in the spirit of summer, I offer below my favorite food of the season:

JAYNE'S SUMMER PESTO

(Another note to you purists out there -- you know who you are -- no, I don't add any garlic. I am not a fan of garlic. But if you like garlic I suppose it wouldn't hurt).

Wash and spin dry the leaves of the following green things. You'll need enough to fill the bowl of the food processor (lightly packed).

1 large bunch fresh basil leaves
1 large bunch fresh Italian flat leaf parsley (not the crinkly kind). (You could also use arugula and/or watercress).

Place washed and dried green things in food processor bowl. Then add the following. (All measures are suggestions only -- feel free to experiment).

1/3 cup of green olives sliced in half (just to make sure there are no pits). Yes, you can use the kind they put into martinis.

1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts. (You know how to toast pine nuts, don't you? Just toss them in a dry pan over medium heat and let them toast until golden. Hint: Shake the pan a lot. The suckers will burn on you if you don't keep them moving.)

1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese or parmesan-reggiano blend.
Juice and zest of one lime.
1/4 tsp. of hot sauce (or more if you like).

Pulse all the above together until you get it down to the consistency that you like. I prefer mine with a lot of texture.

Now add some good quality OLIVE OIL a couple of tablespoons at a time and pulse or stir some more until you get it the way you want it. Again, I prefer a thick mixture but some folks like it thin and runny. I don't know why.

Taste. Usually the olives and parmesan add enough salt but you might want a little more.

And there you have it: summer magic, as least as far as I'm concerned.

What will you be cooking up this summer? And does anyone out there have another off-beat pesto recipe? I'm always on the lookout for a new variation.

Happy Summer!

--Jayne

34 Comments:

Pia said...: Jayne,
I love Pesto!!!I will try your recipe soon... my husband got me this new toy-the Magic Bullet and I have been making a lot of fruit smoothies..My recipe for Pesto is the one that just comes with my Magic Bullet companion recipe book so it's just very plain and simple.
On another matter, Jayne or has anyone read Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander series, I just started reading the Outlander today I love it so far, I just took a break by checking my email, but back to reading again.; 7:25 PM
karende said...: I'm not a pesto person, but I do like home made salsa. Lots of chopped juicy tomatoes, cilantro, diced onions, green chilis - whatever comes to hand. Summer favorites are potato and macaroni salads, and jello with cottage cheese in it. The cottage cheese has to be run through a sieve so it's more like gritty milk, but it's been a favorite since childhood.

I've read all the Gabaldon books except for the last - I've sort of stalled on A Breath of Snow and Ashes. It's frustrating because I DO want to know what's happening next, but there've just been too many words! I love the series, and even the spin-off about Lord John, but it's just going to take me awhile to get back in the groove. And I really should remember not to re-read each and every one of the preceding books in order before I do the next. It just makes too much, especially when the books are as long as those. DG supposedly said once that she wrote them in episodes, then forgot all about them and let someone else put them together in the right order and smooth the rough edges. I don't know if that's true or not, but it seems to me that would be the only way to deal with so MUCH information.

karibear; 8:35 PM
DFender said...: Yum, Jayne! That pesto sounds pretty tasty. I'll hafta pass it on the HHP as he's the cook in our family. Thanks!

Deb; 3:16 AM
Margie said...: That sounds sooooo good! Really, really good...particularly because it's something that for the time being I can't get all the ingredients for. :( Well, I could mail order them, but...

I guess I'll just have to dream of enjoying pesto one day when I once again live somewhere much less remote. But in the meantime, I'll just keep enjoying that nice green tea that grows here in Shikoku. It's not the same, but it is a treat. :)

But thanks anyway for posting the recipe. I am so definitely looking forward to trying it one day!; 6:09 AM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Pia: Your Magic Bullet machine sounds great! I know I couldn't survive without my food processor. What on earth did people do before they started inventing kitchen gadgets?

--Jayne; 6:31 AM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: karende: Oh, yeah, SALSA!!!! Love it.

--Jayne; 6:32 AM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: dfender: Hope you enjoy your HHP's version. Tell him to feel free to experiment.

--Jayne; 6:32 AM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: margie: Sounds like you are in an exotic clime which no doubt has lots of interesting recipes. Feel free to post one here in "comments" if you've got a fave you'd like to share.

--Jayne; 6:34 AM
Anonymous said...: Pia, I've read all the DG works. You have such a treat in store. My DH has also read the first 4/6 and thought they were great. One of the problems with the series is how long it takes her to get out the next volume. That puts you in a good position because there may be only one more before the story wraps up.

Jayne, thanks for your pesto recipe. I have loved your asparagus and salmon recipes, so I look forward to trying this one as well. Kathy K; 7:04 AM
Riley & Tiki said...: We've been eating spaghetti squash lately instead of pasta. I bet the pesto would be wonderful on it.

R&T Mom; 7:40 AM
Stella said...: This is a wonderful recipe. I don't like olives so I leave those out, but this is great stuff.

Stella; 9:40 AM
Kay Webb Harrison said...: Dear Jayne,
I don't know if I am a pesto fan or not. I'll have to try it. I loved the scenes in your "Family Man" about Katie and her pesto recipies for "Pesto Presto": her brother describing the "green" sacrifices and Zeke waiting to pounce.

I do like fresh salsa. My favorite summer recipe is gazpacho; it is cooly refreshing, and it uses up so many fresh garden vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, etc. The Time/Life Spain & Portugal cookbook reports that the dish goes back to Roman days, but they must have made it without the tomatoes. Since you have to "liquefy" the ingredients, they used to pass them through a sieve/seive(?). I much prefer my blender or food processor.

Have you tried any of the whole grain pastas? We think that the Barilla brand has the best flavor.

Happy and healthy eating,
Kay; 10:09 AM
elizabeth said...: Pesto without vitamin G?!!? Horrors!

But then, I loooove garlic. Evan does, too. Good thing, yes?; 11:55 AM
susan andersen said...: I'm a realtive newcomer to Pesto and have never had homemade. Sounds nummy. One of my fave chop-em-up receipes for summer is pico de gallo. We put that on pasta (I too like the Barilla whole wheat) with a little store bought pesto. Actually we put that on darn near everything--it has so much flavor and is actually good for you. It helps counterbalances my ice cream habit. :); 12:18 PM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Anonymous: Hope you enjoy this recipe as well as you did the others! Thanks for letting me know that they worked for you.

--Jayne; 12:42 PM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Riley and tiki: You know, I think you're onto something with that idea of using pesto on the spaghetti squash. Of course, as far as I'm concerned, pesto goes with just about anything.

Let me know how it turns out!
--Jayne; 12:44 PM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Stella: Hey, I still remember the first time you and I made this pesto together at my condo. How times flies...

Kay Webb Harrison: I'm with you on the wonderfulness of salsa!!!

Elizabeth: I know you and garlic. What was that recipe for chicken that used 40 cloves? It left a lasting impression on me.

Okay, Susan: Let's have that pico de gallo recipe!; 12:47 PM
susan andersen said...: This is one of those kitchen sink recipes--we throw in whatever we have, which is where the cabbage first came from--and we discovered we really liked it, so we now include it in most incarnations.

Basically, though, it's:

3 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
1/4 cabbage (any kind), chopped
2 T chopped onions
3-4 fresh jalapenos, minced
juice of 1/2 lime
salt to taste

Combine and mix, let it sit.

EAT.; 4:56 PM
Elizabeth said...: Apparently anonymous posts aren't coming up.

My current green addiction comes courtesy of our Serbian neighbor. Take chop parsley, drop garlic in the food processor until completely munched, mix together with a pinch of kosher salt and then add good quality olive oil until covered. We use a bit less oil oil if the dip is intended for brushing on fish, veggies, lamb or chicken, a bit more for bread dip or to marinate steak.

Garlic is to taste, by brother-in-law goes for 2 heads of garlic (at least) to one bunch parsley. This is the "burn off your lips" strength; I go for the 1 head of garlic to one bunch parsley. This would be the "so there's something other than garlic in here" strength.

My carb loving genes just go nuts for this as a dip for a quality loaf of bread. But it also works as a dressing for a tomato, cucumber, & olive salad. With the occasional fresh mini-mozarella balls tossed in. And brushed on corn before tossing it husk and all on the grill.

Suddenly I'm hungry.

Eli; 5:05 PM
karende said...: All this talk of garlic reminded me of a roommate I used to have. There were 3 of us females and him, but his only drawback was an unfortunate tendency to think he could cook. One day he decided to make us a garlic soup, supposedly a Portuguese one he'd had in Boston. It started with 10 large heads of garlic! I have no idea what it was supposed to taste like when finished, but I can guarantee that house will NEVER be bothered by ghosts, werewolves, or vampires!

karibear; 7:13 PM
Shoshana said...: Sounds very like the pesto mom makes, sans lemon and garlic, hmmm, good to finally have numbers instead of 'Oh, a couple of shakes of cheese will do... no, that container comes out slower, you'll need to add more. I think. Hm, how much parsley did you cut, again?'
Hee hee! I LOVE my mom.
Oh, right, pesto recipes:
Lemon juice makes a good substitute for some of the olive oil if you're worried about fat.
Cilantro pesto is great, for those who love it, use Ms Krentz's recipe but substitute cilantro instead of basil.
I've had spinach pesto before, it was actually pretty good, but no parsley in that one, and don't use lemon juice, it's tart enough, and a few oxalis clover leaves are a VERY good addition.
If you need your pesto stronger, cut down on the parmesan and pine nuts (add them whole as a topping when serving, instead) and have more of your herb of choice per parsley bunch.
Hm, those are my best tricks, except for this last:

Pesto makes the BEST salad dressing! Ever! Really! (Although a ripe avocado mixed in gives a truly amazing touch. Only for pesto destined for salad, though.)
Yup.

PS that garlic-spears-and-asparagus recipe won me a raise, I swear! Also gave you a new reader in my boss when I told her where it'd come from.; 10:29 PM
Pia said...: Jayne,
I know what you mean about what people did before kitchen gadgets were invented but I have a friend who lives in Carnation who makes bread from scratch, yup, from scratch! My apologies but I seem to be like Rachel Ray -
I eye ball stuff, I love putting together stuff I don't really bake and I am still learning to cook, your recipes are very much appreciated...
Karende and Kathy K. gosh I'm so excited to read the Outlander I normally read a book a day but yesterday and this morning my dogs were so needy and cute, so I wasn't able to read any..I'm going to let Bruno, Bini and Bogo (my dogs) stay up late today so I can read my book quitely tomorrow, it is great that the series is out so I don't have to wait long, I rememeber reading the Left Behind series and I had to wait 6 months to a year for the next book...
Thanks, Pia; 10:52 PM
Helen said...: Yum on the Summer Pesto recipe, Jayne. Are any of these recipes in Lori's THE WRITE INGREDIENTS? Like your asparagus and salmon recipes? If not, where can I find them in the previous posts? The book is ordered anyway. lol --Helen; 10:07 AM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Shoshana: Thanks so much for the fabulous pesto ideas. I'm going to try that salad dressing trick. Sounds yummy!

--Jayne; 10:25 AM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Helen: I'm not sure which of my recipes wound up in Lori's book but I don't think it was the asparagus. That one is somewhere way back in the blog. Gonna have to index this sucker one of these days!

--Jayne; 2:02 PM
Margie said...: Hi Jayne,

Mmmm, a favorite recipe? Lots and lots. But here's one that's easy and makes a nice lunch on a hot summer day. :) Although, from what I hear from my family back home, Seattle's not really warmed up to summer yet...

This is based, by the way, on a Harumi Kurihara recipe - she's Japan's "Nigella Lawson" if you will. She has an English version of her cookbook out, too - it's called "Harumi's Japanese Cooking", if anyone wants to look for it on Amazon.

Mushi-Dori no Gomadare Sarada
(ie, Steamed Chicken Salad with Sesame Sauce)

1 small English-style cucumber
1/2 of a boneless/skinless chicken breast

For the sauce:
2 Tbsp chicken juices (you'll see)
2 Tbsp sesame paste
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp rice vinegar (plain, not seasoned for sushi)
1 tsp to-ban-jan/chili paste
1 Tbsp roughly ground sesame seeds
1 Tbsp green onions, finely chopped
1-2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1-2 tsp garlic, minced

First, cut the chicken into bite size bits and either poach it in a little water or microwave it by itself. Whatever juice comes out is the "chicken juices" you use in the dressing.

Cut the cucumber into sticks (like carrot sticks) or chunks. Spread on a plate or put in a bowl. Place chicken on top.

Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce. You will probably end up with enough for at least 2-3 salads, but don't worry - it's good on other salads, stir-fries, and so on, too! Anyhow, spoon a little over the salad and enjoy. :); 4:10 PM
Helen said...: Jayne: Loving all recipes Asparagus, I can be unstoppable. We won't talk about the time I planted it upside down. What can I say? I was an agricultural neophyte. Grin. I found Roasted Asparagus Frank in March, 2006 and all things salmon in May, 2006. Guess I got lucky starting with 2006. lol --Helen; 4:23 PM
Elizabeth Guest said...: Jayne, I'm definitely going to make the pesto, my fellow low-carb eater!

Your chicken recipe sounds delicious, Margie! I'm going to print it out and try making it once I'm on hiatus in July.

One of our summer favorites is gazpacho. My husband loves it.

Have a great Tuesday all!
~EG; 4:30 PM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Thanks, Margie! Your recipe sounds great. We don't eat meat but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work with chilled strips of tofu. Yum!

By the way, you heard right, Seattle is still only flirting with summer...

HELEN: Upside down asparags? Now that sounds interesting. Glad you liked Roasted Asparagus Frank. We ate a lot of it this season and now we're into garlic spears fixed the same way.

--Jayne; 4:43 PM
dee from Australia said...: not in this part of the world, start of the ski season, snow, colds, flannette pjs, thick socks, winter recipes, :); 6:11 AM
Anonymous said...: Hello Jayne-
I found a recipe years ago which is a variation of traditional pesto. You just substitute curly parsley for the basil and walnuts for the pinenuts - everything else is the same. I like this one a lot as it is more nutty than the original, and the parsley is not as 'perfumey' as the basil.
AND, more importantly, it is very quick!
Cheers!
Barbara Rose; 9:12 PM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Barbara Rose: Hey, thanks! I love new variations on pesto!

--Jayne; 8:09 AM
Ranurgis said...: Hmm, pesto. I'm not even exactly sure what that is. And some of those ingredients are just as mysterious to me, non-cook that I am.

In fact, I'm such a non-cook that I'll probably ask to have the gas stove in my apartment shut off. All it's doing is adding to the heat in here and, perhaps, making my fridge work harder than is strictly necessary. I've so many cookbooks and cut recipes out of magazines but it's a true waste of time and money when the fresh fruits and vegetables just get moldy. I know that if I didn't have to, I would probably forget to eat. I definitely eat to live instead of living to eat.

And yet, this all sounds so good.

By the way, in case I didn't mention it yet, I really enjoyed "White Lies". When's the next book coming out?; 12:08 AM
Jeeva said...: Same here,...is it dipping? Well I'm a curry person myself. Just a quick question for Jayne. Are you going to write a book about fallon Jones (if i'm not mistaken) i remember him as " D**&$$" Jones ine the book, at lease thats what claire called him and it kin of stuck. Btw Love your books. So funny.

Jeeva from Malaysia; 4:22 AM

Previous Posts

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Jayne Goes Green for Summer

34 Comments: