Greenwich Village Green

I absolutely love making pestos in bulk.  I store and freeze them in 4-ounce containers. They thaw beautifully and are so versatile. Use pestos for salad dressings, marinating meats and fish, or simply instead of jarred pasta sauce.

But a cheese free pesto, really?  Yes.  Here’s why.  

1. They freeze better and last longer without the dairy.

2. What’s a finished pasta dish without some cheese, right? By omitting it in the original recipe, there is less guilt involved when loading on the parm!

3. Ever have a vegan or lactose-free friend come by for dinner?  I see a lovely dairy free pasta dish in their future…

Need I say more?…

You can substitute a plethora of fresh baby greens and herbs like spinach, basil, cilantro, even parsley. Pecans are less buttery than the traditional pine nut pesto, but still add some protein and substance. Try using almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, or omit if you’re allergic!

Arugula Pecan Pesto

Ingredients:

5 (packed) cups baby arugula (this is about 1/2 a pound)

1/2 cup pecans

2 large cloves garlic, halved

1 t Celtic sea salt

1/2 t freshly ground pepper

1 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Procedure:

Place all ingredients except olive oil in a blender or food processor.  Pulse until greens and nuts are finely chopped.  With the motor running, pour in the olive oil until just blended. Over-processing your pestos may cause your greens to turn brown (and really, who wants a brown pesto?).  Pour pesto into 4-ounce plastic, or freezer-safe glass containers.  Label and store.  Your pesto will keep up to 2 months in the freezer.  I prefer to thaw at room temp or in the fridge overnight. Enjoy!

This soup is great for Fall weather.  Easily made vegan with the substitution of vegetable stock. It also freezes well and is easily scaled up for crowds.  Perfect as a meal, as a side or starter.  Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Cups sliced leeks, (white and light green parts-discard the fibrous tops)

1 clove Garlic, minced

1 sprig fresh Rosemary, or 1 t dried

6 Cups Chicken (or veggie) stock

1 1/2 pounds Potatoes, skin on, cut into 1” dice (I like to you red potatoes, but if using a heartier variety, like Russets, I recommend peeling)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedure:

In a large pot, heat 3 T olive oil.  Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic & rosemary and cook for half a minute, careful not to burn the garlic. Add the stock, potatoes. Cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, until the veggies are fork tender.

Remove from heat. Remove the rosemary sprig. I highly recommend blending with an immersion blender, but a regular blender or vitamix will do as well.  Puree until smooth and creamy.  Serve with a sprinkle of parsley.  I sometimes like to add a dallop of greek yogurt, too!

Those of us in the Northeast are experiencing a cold snap!  While Fall is upon us, you can still snag summer veggies at your local greenmarket!  I love this raw zucchini salad.  The vinegar lightly pickles the zucchini and the tomatoes add a bit of sweetness.  Enjoy!

Raw Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Ingredients:

3 Zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 Yellow Squash (about 1 pound)

1 cup Grape or Cherry Tomatoes (one medium sized heirloom tomato works well, too!)

1/2 cup fresh herb, chopped (I like flat leaf parsley, basil, or cilantro)

1/4 cup Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 T Lemon Juice

1 Garlic Clove

1/2 t Celtic Sea Salt

Pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, herbs, salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil.

2. Wash and trim ends off squash and zucchini.  Using a peeler, shave zucchini ribbons directly into vinegar mixture.

3. Toss well, add pepper to taste.

4. Halve the tomatoes (if using cherry or grape).  If using a larger heirloom tomato, chop into medium dice.