 Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post | Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here. The official sauce of summer Everyone I know who has an Aerogarden or other hydroponic, grow-light assisted device cannot stop talking about it. "Everything grows so fast!" one friend DMed me. "I had a pickable bunch of pineapple mint in 9 days!" "You need to see this opal basil," another gushed via text. "It's unreal." My herb harvests have been pretty paltry for the past few years — I blame apartment living! — so a grow-light appliance that all but ensures lush bunches of herbs is tempting. It would mean fresh herb garnishes any time I want, even when I haven't been to the market in a couple of weeks. I could make fresh herb tisanes, hot or on ice, every afternoon. And, I imagine, I could consume pesto — summer's official sauce, if you ask me! — by the cup. Here's the thing, though: You don't need basil or even herbs to make pesto. You can make it out of almost any leafy green thing: Chard, kale, collards, escarole, the tops of beets or carrots or radishes. Arugula and spinach work too. I don't remember when this first occurred to me — probably when I worked in restaurants — but it's an idea that I come to time and time again when I have a bunch of something green and it's just a bit past its prime. This recipe, from cookbook author Julia Turshen, is an adaptable number that works with all sorts of dark greens or herbs, almost any sort of toasted nut and doesn't even call for cheese — though a firm, salty cheese whizzed into it is fantastic. Here are a few fun formulas to try, but feel free to take the recipe and run with it. It's hard to go wrong! - Beet greens + pistachios + olive or pistachio oil
- Arugula + walnuts + roasted garlic + olive oil + herbed goat cheese
- Kale + cashews + garlic + grapeseed oil + nutritional yeast
- Spinach + tahini + lemon zest + olive oil
- Parsley + basil + garlic confit + garlic oil + parmesan
The key is a technique known as blanching: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Dunk chopped, dark leafy greens into it and, a minute later, drain and cool over ice. Squeeze them dry, and then blend or process in a food processor with the other ingredients until it's as smooth as you want it. (You can also use a mortar and pestle for this, if you have a big one.) This flash-boil method sets the chlorophyll in the leaves to a bright green, and they'll stay that way — even after they're pureed with toasted nuts, olive oil and salt. Then, serve it stuffed into tomato sandwiches, over grilled meats, with flatbreads, atop a pot of beans, swirled into a simple soup, with roasted chicken or vegetables, as a dip with crackers, atop scrambled eggs, loosened with vinegar to dress a salad or tossed with warm pasta.  | Today's recipe |  Tomato, Pesto and Ricotta Sandwiches. (Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post) | Mustard Greens and Pecan Pesto There are lots of ways to riff on this recipe, so feel free to play around with it. Sometimes I want a stronger flavor, so I'll add more garlic; sometimes I don't use garlic at all. This recipe will work with even just 8 ounces of greens, though you might reduce the amount of oil, too. Using a food processor, as the recipe describes below, will give you a chunkier pesto. For a smoother puree, use a blender, scraping down the sides and adding splashes of oil or water until it spins into a silky whirlpool of green. NOTE: Toast the pecan halves in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool completely before using. For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder. Makes: 2 cups of pesto
Active Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins Ingredients - Kosher salt
- 1 pound mustard greens, washed, tough stems discarded, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted (see NOTE)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Steps 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Add the greens and cook for 1 minute, just until bright green and tender. 2. Drain the greens in a colander and let cool to room temperature (or rinse with cool water to speed things along). Squeeze the greens with your hands to remove excess water. 3. Place in a food processor with the pecans and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped, then add the oil and a teaspoon of the salt; pulse until thoroughly incorporated. From cookbook author and recipe developer Julia Turshen. Tested by Sandhya Babu. Nutrition information per 1/4 cup: Calories: 180; Total Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 8 mg; Sodium: 45 mg; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 1 g; Protein: 2 g.  | Dessert | 🎧 "Neighborhood Cats" by Mndsgn.
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