A Pint of Nettle-Walnut Pesto
Early spring in Portland means fresh basil is still months away – but pesto doesn’t have to be! Yesterday we harvested Stinging Nettles. We dried some for tea, scrambled some up with eggs, and used the rest for this Nettle-Walnut Pesto. The flavor is fresher and milder than basil pesto, and you don’t have to worry about pine mouth. Here’s the recipe:
Nettle Walnut Pesto makes 1 1/2 cups
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/3 c crispy walnuts
1/2 c parmigiano reggiano cheese (or other hard Italian cheese), grated
2 c nettles, tightly packed
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
- Place all ingredients in food processor
- Process to your liking – chunky or smooth
Nettle-Walnut Pesto with a Roasted Tomato
This post is part of Fresh Bites Friday from Real Food, Whole Health.
I have to admit that I’ve been stung too many times by stinging nettles to have any interest in voluntarily harvesting them. I do like making pseudo-pestos and salads from other wild greens, though. Infant dandelion greens, violet leaves, lamb’s quarters, sorrel, and occasionally some chickweed or purslane find their way into my bowl!
I make a cilantro-walnut pesto that is so yummy! Use it for anything you want a tex-mex flavor for. Just use your recipe and sub cilantro for the nettles, leave out the cheese, and I add more garlic just because we love it! I freeze it in ice cube trays and then pop those in a freezer bag for easy use.