Market Fresh Pesto
Culinary herbs can bring any meal to life. With so many to choose from, the uses are endless. There is also no shortage of fresh greens in the warm summer months. Green foods provide detoxification support to your body as they are rich in chlorophyll which is essentially “plant blood”. Other benefits of eating greens includes boosts your immunity, improves digestion, promotes weight loss thanks to tons of fiber, and may help regulate cholesterol levels, blood sugar and blood pressure. This is the season for incorporating a variety of fresh green foods into your diet.
This simple pesto can be added to anything, including salad dressing and on grilled veggies or meat. It is also a great way to use up excess greens or the ones you find at the back of your fridge a week after the market. I love using mint, arugula, cilantro or basil, as the base flavours in pesto blends but feel free to use your favourites. In the recipe below you will see I used raw stinging nettle. The “sting” goes away once it is blended, I promise! You can also add micro-greens to the blend for another boost in nutrition. This week I ate my pesto on grilled asparagus with locally raised elk steaks I got at the market.
Market Fresh Pesto
These measurements are guidelines, feel free to add more or less depending on what you like.
Roughly 2-3 cups of fresh herbs and greens (I used mint, nettle, cilantro, rosemary)
1-2 cloves of fresh or roasted garlic
1/2 bunch chives
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
Salt & pepper
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend. Store in fridge for up to a week.
Sage and Shepherd Farm
T-bone Elk Steak
Happy creating!
Holly Morris, RHN
Holly Morris is a registered holistic nutritionist and Reiki practitioner in Uxbridge, Ontario. Her mission is to facilitate her clients in finding and listening to their inner voice so their needs are met in all areas of life. Learn more about Holly at https://www.hmholisticwellness.com/