Wild Things: Pesto makin’ time

Basil is a heat-loving annual. Since September brings colder weather, this Mediterranean native, starts to decline. You’ll see the edges start to turn black the closer we get to frost.

So during these next days and weeks, harvest as much as you can from the plants in the garden (or as a local gardener to harvest from them).

Here’s the basic recipe:

• Freshly picked basil
• Nuts of some kind (pine, walnut, almond, pecan)
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Salt

Put basil, nuts, garlic, and salt in a food processor and drizzle with oil while blending. Add more oil or other ingredients to desired consistency and taste.

This recipe is super simple and vegan. The traditional recipe calls for Parmesan cheese, which is delicious, but some folks are sensitive to dairy. If you use the cheese, cut back on the salt.

But, hold on, here’s where the wild part comes in. Consider adding in fresh wild greens to enhance the nutritional and medicinal benefits. I usually add just a one or two leaves so as to maintain the basil flavor.

• Dandelion greens (will add some bitterness so taste as you go)
• Chickweed (very soft-bodied with a neutral flavor so it’s perfect for this use)
• Wood Sorrel (lovely sour flavor)
• Nettle (nutritionally dense and looses its sting once it’s blended – make sure to wear gloves when harvesting)

The trick with this is to experiment.

Serve over pasta or with crackers. Pesto freezes well and you’ll thank yourself mid-winter.

Lee Warren is a homesteader, herbalist, writer and the manager of Imani Farm, a pasture-based cooperative farm at Earthaven Ecovillage. She is also a co-founder of the Village Terraces CoHousing Neighborhood and the Program Coordinator for the Southeast Women’s Herbal Conference (sewisewomen.com).

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Lee Warren
Lee Warren is a homesteader, herbalist, writer and the manager of Imani Farm, a pasture-based cooperative farm at Earthaven Ecovillage. She is also a co-founder of the Village Terraces CoHousing Neighborhood and the Program Coordinator for the Southeast Women’s Herbal Conference. For more information on the 8th annual event, visit sewisewomen.com.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.