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Pesto

Postby jeral » Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:10 am

Has anyone made a rocket, spinach and cress version? I assume all three go together since bought as a mixed bag though I doubt in anything like equal proportion.

As an aside, it was to go with some baby Jerseys but shopping arrived as "Jerseys not available" so Charlottes from the fridge instead. Have Jerseys finished now?

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Re: Pesto

Postby Seatallan » Fri Jun 11, 2021 10:11 am

I've made spinach pesto and it was jolly nice, so am sure it would work with rocket and cress. Sounds yummy! :yum

Still some Jersey Royals about up here but I suppose we're getting towards the end of the road now.
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Re: Pesto

Postby Binky » Fri Jun 11, 2021 10:23 am

We have always made pesto with basil, parmesan, pine nuts and olive oil. I thought the word pesto referred to this mixture alone.

However, I have looked at the Italian and it comes from the verb 'pestare' meaning something ground up (as in a pestle and mortar I expect). So your suggested ingredients will definitely be a pesto (and sounds tasty).

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Re: Pesto

Postby PatsyMFagan » Fri Jun 11, 2021 10:27 am

I have had it :yum made from wild garlic, walnuts rather than basil and pine nuts....

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Re: Pesto

Postby Earthmaiden » Fri Jun 11, 2021 10:47 am

I didn't know about the word 'pestare' but know people seem to make what they call pesto from many ingredients and often wondered if they should call it pesto. Cashew nuts seem to be used quite a bit.

I think rocket, spinach and cress would work- what would you add to it (herbs, nuts, cheese etc) for flavour?

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Re: Pesto

Postby jeral » Fri Jun 11, 2021 10:54 am

Thanks folks - I'll let you know. I was/am intending to use this River Cottage recipe which basically says you can vary it as you wish, including using ground almonds or toasted breadcrumbs if nuts aren't in one's larder:
https://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/pesto

I'm going down the road later so will check in local shops for Jerseys - better buy some quick if they have them.

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Re: Pesto

Postby liketocook » Fri Jun 11, 2021 11:05 am

Yes often using one of those mixed bags or rocket alone and walnuts instead of pine nuts and it is really good.

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Re: Pesto

Postby Stokey Sue » Fri Jun 11, 2021 11:21 am

I think the classic basil and pine nuts version is pesto Genovese - as it is from Genoa

I think if you are changing the greenery you need something as assertive as the basil, so rocket or watercress, not sure about spinach except as a carrier for other herbs

I've had commercial coriander pesto, the coriander has enough oomph but I don't find coriander and parmesan or pecorino a good combination

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Re: Pesto

Postby jeral » Fri Jun 11, 2021 11:44 am

I'll leave well alone with my threesome initially, although it occurs to me that I have a tiny bottle of food-grade essentiial basil oil that I haven't yet found a use for. It might be handy for herbs needing oomph if used in the right amount (so not much). People in Genoa need never know ;)

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Re: Pesto

Postby KeenCook2 » Fri Jun 11, 2021 11:54 am

Yes, we regularly make pesto with all manner of greenery - kale, rocket, watercress, spinach, coriander, three-cornered leek, basil - I think we have some rocket pesto in the fridge at the moment.

We use it in sarnies, omelettes, with scrambled egg, on new potatoes. We like it with roast cauliflower.

I use the basic proportions in Dennis Cotter's Paradiso Cookbook. He also says you can use it as a sauce for risotto, fritters, roasted veg, grilled cheese.

100g greenery
50g nuts - pine nuts, walnuts, cashews or almonds
2 cloves garlic
s & p
olive oil as required - c 200 - 250ml
40g grated parmesan or pecorino or grana padano, for a cheaper version, depending on the greenery used

Yes, Sue, I agree, parmesan is not good with coriander pesto. Dennis Cotter actually recommends chill with his coriander version, and uses ground almonds.

I have a feeling Rick Stein does a pesto with ground almonds - trapiano? something beginning with a "t" I think. Must look it up.

Cotter also suggests a sundried tomato pesto with 80g sundried tomatoes that you soak to rehydrate. You could also use sundried tomatoes from a jar, but, curiously, I've never done that.

Good luck, jeral :thumbsup

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Re: Pesto

Postby karadekoolaid » Fri Jun 11, 2021 3:11 pm

I regularly make pesto con le mandorle - with almonds instead of pine nuts -because pine nuts are hard to find here.
I´d wonder whether spinach, rocket or cress would be assertive enough in the mixture; wouldn´t the "pesto" taste of nuts/garlic/parmesan, instead of the green stuff? I think I´d always want to use a herb rather than a leafy vegetable - parsley, rosemary, oregano, mint, sage - who knows?
A Chimichurri is similar to a pesto in a certain sense, I suppose.

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Re: Pesto

Postby Seatallan » Fri Jun 11, 2021 4:09 pm

I've used just spinach (from the garden) and it's been very tasty. I make gallons of wild garlic pesto when it is in season too. I use all kinds of mixes of cheese, nuts and oil depending on what I have or fancy.
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Re: Pesto

Postby ZeroCook » Fri Jun 11, 2021 5:44 pm

.
I don't think the green element flavour is critical outside the classic basil version - it just becomes a general green sauce, and they're all good - I make parsley and walnut with feta a lot. Adding other herbs is good, too. You can use just about anything.

https://www.seriouseats.com/vegetable-scrap-herb-pesto

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Re: Pesto

Postby KeenCook2 » Fri Jun 11, 2021 6:27 pm

that's really useful little article, with some great ideas ZC :thumbsup

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Re: Pesto

Postby liketocook » Fri Jun 11, 2021 6:36 pm

Yes cheers ZC :thumbsup
KK - I've always found spinach/watercress/rocket mix assertive enough to hold against the other flavours. Spinach on it's own can get a bit lost IMHO but the end result is decent. While living on my own I often find I have soft green stuff needing used and pesto is my go to use up as I've found it freezes well as well as reducing a heap of leaves to very little.

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Re: Pesto

Postby karadekoolaid » Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:31 pm

Well that´s good to know. I only usually use classic pesto, but I´ve used an Indian mixture called Hariyali Pudina ( heavy on the mint leaves), and another mixture which is half coriander, half mint, and some cashews.
I can imagine home-grown rocket might well hit the spot.

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Re: Pesto

Postby liketocook » Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:45 pm

Home grown rocket definitely would KK IMHO particularly the end of season/larger leaves that get that lovely bitter pepperiness :yum

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Re: Pesto

Postby karadekoolaid » Fri Jun 11, 2021 10:45 pm

that lovely bitter pepperiness

Oh yes!!!! :clap :clap

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Re: Pesto

Postby Amyw » Fri Jun 11, 2021 11:03 pm

ZeroCook wrote:.
I don't think the green element flavour is critical outside the classic basil version - it just becomes a general green sauce, and they're all good - I make parsley and walnut with feta a lot. Adding other herbs is good, too. You can use just about anything.

https://www.seriouseats.com/vegetable-scrap-herb-pesto



Parsley walnut and feta sounds amazing . Out of interest what does everyone use their pesto from apart from pasta ? I like stuffed chicken with pesto and mozzarella and cod smeared in pesto is very good too

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Re: Pesto

Postby liketocook » Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:35 am

Apart from pasta and on top of fish I use it pretty much as sauce/condiment I like it stirred into pan juices or smeared on top of a pork or lamb steak. Another favourite is to spread it on top of aubergine slices or a big mushroom then top with breadcrumbs and bake.

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