Yesterday's lunch was pasta and pesto, as you can see in these pictures. You might wonder where we get fresh basil at this time of year. Well, we don't. We make pesto using radish leaves. You may have noticed that we eat a lot of radishes in springtime, when they are at their best. When the "tops" (leaves) are pretty, we wash them, and then blitz them with some olive oil using a stick blender. Into the freezer they go. Are radishes sold with their leaves still attached in the U.S.?
I almost forgot to mention that I bought another smoked chicken at the supermarket a day or two ago. We had some of the smoked chicken breast meat as a side dish with the pasta and pesto.
When we decide to eat some radish-leaf pesto, we let the ground-up leaves thaw, add grated Parmesan cheese along with some pine nuts or powdered hazelnuts or almonds (plus a pressed garlic clove or two) and stir that all up. We put a good "puddle" of pesto at the bottom of a big bowl and add pasta lifted right out of the water it has boiled in, and stir it again. The cheese melts. If the pesto is too thick add a few tablespoons of the hot pasta water to thin it to the desired consistency.
That’s really interesting Ken. I didn’t know you could make pesto with radish leaves, not that I’ve ever made pesto. It looks very tasty and is the sort of meal we like. We’re having roasted veg with pesto, served in wraps, for dinner tonight and I’m going to make slow cooker beef bourgignon tomorrow. Weather here, extremely windy and very dull, but warmer than of late. Hoping the sun comes out this week, but the forecast is for rain. Grrr.
ReplyDeleteI learned about making pesto and using it to flavor pasta from a friend in Illinois who spent time in Italy in the 1970s. It's pretty easy to do, and it's delicious.
DeleteThe organic farmer at my local farmers market will have the little torpedo shaped radishes in spring with the greens still attached.
ReplyDeleteHave you made pesto before? Whether it's made with basil leaves or radish leaves, the process is the same.
DeleteOnly a few times.
DeleteI am trying to imagine what your pesto tastes like. I will look for radish leaves and make some. Your dinner looks so good to me- simply delicious.
ReplyDeleteHope you can find radishes with leaves still attached and fresh-looking. You can also use radish leaves in soup or in a quiche.
DeleteI can buy radishes with or without leaves. I always buy them with leaves. Your pasta with pesto looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteBettyAnn
Pesto is easy to make.
DeleteWhat a smart idea! I discovered that I find basil pesto's flavor to be a bit overwhelming, and I don't really enjoy a pasta made with it... is the radish leaf a very different flavor?
ReplyDeleteAnd, regarding confinement... Mary in Oregon's comment that it's good just to do a day trip somewhere, not an overnight, just going and seeing something somewhere, getting lunch, and coming home, can really do wonders for one's mood. I guess if it's raining, it's not something you'll feel like doing, but I find that it lifts our spirits, when we do something like that. I don't realize it will, and I don't think there's any point, but then we go, and we both say, "That was a good idea." :)
I think the flavor of radish leaves is a little milder than the flavor of basil leaves.
DeleteThe problem with day trips is what to do with the dog. We don't like leaving Tasha alone in the house for hours and hours, and we don't want to leave her closed up in the car by herself for very long either, even if the weather is cloudy and cool.
Yes we get them here in CA with the leaves. I too am curious as to what the difference in taste is vs basil?
ReplyDeleteSee my comment to Judy above. You'd think the radish leaves would have a sharp taste, since the radishes themselves do. But the leaves are mild-tasting. I think you can make pesto with carrot tops/greens the same way. I can't remember if I've ever actually tried doing that. Carrots here are sometimes sold with the green tops attached, but not usually. Radishes always are, but are only available for a few months of the year.
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