Arugula Pesto

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Hollywood is going green!

That's right kids we are all (each and every one) goin' green. And don't forget lil' punkins, you heard it here first.

Right here in super-sunny Southern California the thought on every single resident's mind (seriously, its a massive thing. 17 million strong) is how can I cleanse my body and my soul while eating something tasty, and simultaneously practicing silent yoga. (Well, not everyone is doing that, it only seems that way to me this week.)

And of course the answer is to eat more locally grown, vibrant greens. And what better way to start doing that than with a sassy springtime spin on pesto.

The leaves of the basil plant, at their best in the heat of summer, so fragrant and delicate, are almost the parallel opposite of arugula, which has a bitterness and fortitude one wouldn't expect from such a small green leaf. The ultimate early spring green.

And when it comes to my current fixation with allspice (oh, have I mentioned this? I am obsessed with allspice.) well my darlings, arugula is the perfect foil. They go so well together, it's like a dream come true.

This version is completely raw, but if the arugula is too strong for you, try a quick blanching of the leaves.

So try this my peaches, and taste the joy.

6 cups arugula leaves, stems removed
Salt to taste
Pinch of allspice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon pine nuts

Rinse the arugula in cold water. Puree with the rest of the ingredients. This is great to do with a mortar and pestle, but if you don't have that, a food processor works well too. As you can see, that was how I did it.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve with crudite, over pasta, or as a sauce for grilled meats or tofu.

Puree the wilted arugula with a hearty pinch of allspice,
© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright. This means you cooking recipes collection. Stop stealing my content.

Arugula is popular in Italian cuisines and was commonly featured in ancient Roman meals. - Willie Green's Organic Farm

Judy at No Fear Entertaining and Lolo at Vegan Yum Yum also made Arugula Pesto.

800 million people on the planet suffer from hunger or malnutrition, but the majority of corn and soy grown in the world feeds cattle, pigs and chickens. This despite the inherent inefficiencies: about two to five times more grain is required to produce the same amount of calories through livestock as through direct grain consumption. It is as much as 10 times more in the case of grain-fed beef in the United States. Mark Bittman, NYTimes