My Uber-Local Food is Coming to Get Me
My new vegetable garden — that genteel little plot in back with the nice red paths that was so recently just dirt — has exploded with edibles. With the exception of the sugar snaps, of which there are barely enough, and the tomatoes, which aren’t yet bearing fruit, it’s a bit out of control. I may be on the verge of actually turning green with all the salad I’ve been eating, daily, from the biggest mixing bowl I own. People at work are starting to ask what’s with the lettuce. I can’t give this delicious organic salad mix away fast enough. Of course I want it to go to a good home, where it will be appreciated, but soon it will be going to anyone who will take it or, worse yet, to waste. If you know me, and I haven’t yet tried to push greens on you, and you want some, please ask! Otherwise, creative suggestions for what to do with salad greens besides, well, salad?
Teich.Net :: All In » Arugula Pesto said,
June 4, 2006 @ 2:36 pm
[...] I answered my own question: what to do with more greens than I can eat and give away? Make arugula pesto! I more or less followed my own traditional pesto recipe, substituting pecans for pine nuts and using just enough oil to get to a spreadable consistency. Unlike basil, arugula does not turn brown when cut edges are exposed to air, so this spread stays vibrant green indefinitely. I used many of the leaves that had grown too large and strong for salad. This produced a peppery, pungently green-tasting, ever so slightly bitter spread that was equally delicious on home-made tagliatelle and on crackers with goat cheese. For a slightly sweeter and milder version, substitute Italian, or flat-leaf, parsley or basil for some of the arugula. I’m not sure whether an arugula plant would have a preference for the blender over the salad bowl or compost pile, but I certainly feel better about putting it to good use. It’s hard to argue with something with such unexpected flavor that is so easy to make and store. Edibles» [...]