Pesto for All Seasons

We know what you’re thinking. It’s a BIT too early to be thinking about this summertime staple. It’s true—our 2023 basil plants are mere babies under the grow lights. But wait! Basil pesto may be king, but this Italian classic is also incredibly adaptable with all kinds of herbs and greens. So why not make a SPRING pesto?

In the FIO gardens, we have TONS of chives, plus a bit of mint, oregano, tarragon, and parsley starting to take off, so we whirled up a batch of pesto using these herbs, and SUCCESS! With fresh, bright, spring-forward nuances, this chive-heavy, basil-free pesto was AMAZING! Perfect for a pizza (see below!).

The best part? The pesto-friendly garden herbs and greens are just beginning. Later this season, whip up some pesto using carrot tops, garlic scapes baby kale, arugula, dill, pea greens, or cilantro. And when the baby basil plants need pinching, you can bet we’ll be tossing those in, too!

The Blanch For our pesto, we prefer to blanch the herbs—boil in water briefly, then shock in ice-water—before blending into pesto. This helps the herbs maintain their bright green color, plus it makes the pesto last longer in the freezer (up to 6 months!). This step is optional, but keep in mind that if you use fresh herbs, you may need to add some water to the blender to get it going.

To Store To minimize oxidation, store pesto with a thin layer of olive on top. Pesto keeps in the refrigerator up to 5 days. To freeze, spoon pesto into small containers or an ice cube tray. Drizzle tops with olive oil, then cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and freeze up to 6 months. 

Our Top 10 Ways to Use SPRING PESTO

1. Green Pizza  Use pesto for the sauce and top with cheese and broccoli or another green veg. See ours below! 
2. Grilled Cheese  Spread a layer of pesto into a grilled cheese, panini, or quesadilla.
3. Green Eggs  Stir pesto into deveiled egg filling or spoon pesto over scrambled or fried eggs.
4. Pesto Mayo  For a fresh burger topper, stir a spoonful or two of pesto into some mayonnaise.
5. Soup Topper  Add pesto to bowls of tomato, chicken noodle, minestrone, or any soup that could use a burst of herby flavor.
6. Grilled Foods  From grilled steak and pork chops to grilled asparagus or sring potatoes, a spoonful of pesto gives grilled foods a bright finish.
7. Pesto Crostini  Spoon pesto onto toasted slices baguette and top with spring veggies.
8. Pesto Meatballs  Load up your meatballs with extra flavor by adding a tablespoon or two to the ground meat mixture.
9. Pesto Veggies  Toss hot roasted snap peas, asparagus, or baby potatoes with pesto.
10. Stuffed Chicken or Chops  Cut a slit into the side of chicken breasts or pork chops (boneless or bone-in works), then spoon in a few teaspoons pesto. Use a toothpick to secure and grill as usual. 

Easy Green Pizza Stretch or roll 1 lb. prepared pizza dough; transfer to an oiled pizza pan. Top with 1 recipe Perfect Pesto (below). Add 4 to 6 oz. shredded mozzarella. Arrange thawed frozen broccoli over cheese. Top with peeled, cooked shrimp. Top with an additional 4 oz. shredded mozzarella. Bake in 450°F oven until crust and top are browned, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and crushed red pepper.

Perfect Pesto

For this recipe, the basil (and/or other herbs) are blanched quickly before blending with the other ingredients. This helps the pesto maintain is vibrant green color. If you prefer a milder garlic flavor, blanch the garlic clove along with the herbs.

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Cuisine Italian

Servings 0

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups basil, parsley, arugula, and/or other herbs
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup neutral-flavor oil, such as grapeseed, avocado, canola, or vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp. chopped pine nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan, Romano, and/or asiago cheese

Instructions

 

• Bring a small saucepan full of water to a boil. Add fresh herbs. Stir until wilted, then use a slotted spoon to transfer to a bowl of ice water. When cool, drain and squeeze out some (but not all) of the water (a little excess moisture helps get the blender going).
• Chop herbs and transfer to a food processor or blender. Add the oils, nuts, garlic, and salt. Pulse then process until smooth, adding 1 or 2 Tbsp. water if needed to puree. Transfer to a bowl or container and stir in cheese. Season to taste with additional salt. If storing, drizzle additional olive oil over surface. Cover and chill up to up to 3 days.

Keyword basil pesto, fresh herbs, pesto, pizza sauce

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