I'm trying to make the most of everything I harvest, okay I admit sometimes at the end of a tiring day making the most of everything simply means the chickens get a tasty extra snack, but 'Hey Ho' ....as John from Going Gently would say ..... at least that means the trimmings get turned into the most delicious eggs for us to eat!!
But the other day I pulled up all the remaining Beetroot plants and the leaves looked so lush I just had to use them. Some were wilted down to have with tea in place of Spinach, and the rest were turned into the contents of the jar you see above.
Hardly a Recipe - Any Leaf Pesto
Equal weights of
Leaves (Basil/Spinach/Beetroot/Radish etc, or a mix)
Parmesan Cheese (or any other hard cheese, or a mix)
Nuts (Pine/Almond/Brazil, or a mix)
Garlic to taste (lots if you like lots not so much if you don't)
Whizz these together in a food processor and then drizzle in enough Olive Oil to get it to the consistency you like.
There I said it was hardly a recipe!!
Put the finished Pesto into a clean jar and keep it in the fridge. Whatever you haven't eaten after a couple of weeks can be spooned into ice cube trays and frozen. Once hard pop out and put into a freezer bag or box. It will keep in the freezer for years, but I doubt it will last long ... it's delicious.
This recipe has also been added to the Recipes I Use Regularly page at the top of the Blog for future reference. Which also contains my recipe for Pesto Pasta Al Forno .... delicious and something I think we will be having this weekend with my lovely new jar of pesto.
But the other day I pulled up all the remaining Beetroot plants and the leaves looked so lush I just had to use them. Some were wilted down to have with tea in place of Spinach, and the rest were turned into the contents of the jar you see above.
Hardly a Recipe - Any Leaf Pesto
Equal weights of
Leaves (Basil/Spinach/Beetroot/Radish etc, or a mix)
Parmesan Cheese (or any other hard cheese, or a mix)
Nuts (Pine/Almond/Brazil, or a mix)
Garlic to taste (lots if you like lots not so much if you don't)
Whizz these together in a food processor and then drizzle in enough Olive Oil to get it to the consistency you like.
There I said it was hardly a recipe!!
Put the finished Pesto into a clean jar and keep it in the fridge. Whatever you haven't eaten after a couple of weeks can be spooned into ice cube trays and frozen. Once hard pop out and put into a freezer bag or box. It will keep in the freezer for years, but I doubt it will last long ... it's delicious.
This recipe has also been added to the Recipes I Use Regularly page at the top of the Blog for future reference. Which also contains my recipe for Pesto Pasta Al Forno .... delicious and something I think we will be having this weekend with my lovely new jar of pesto.
While all that was going on the Beetroot was lazily cooking away in the bottom oven of the Aga.
Once soft it was sliced and packed into these jars and I topped them up with some spiced vinegar. Which is simply vinegar that has been brought to the boil and simmered for about 15 minutes with some pickling spices (around 1oz to every bottle of vinegar). I buy mine ready mixed to save having lots of jars of spices I don't use that often.
I always boil up much more than I need and pour the cooled, unused vinegar back into the vinegar bottle for future use ... make sure you add to the label that it has been spiced !!
So Pickled Beetroot and a big jar of Pesto, another days successful harvest processed for future use.
Sue xx
Brilliant! My kind of "cooking"
ReplyDeleteGill
You could write a cookbook - frugal/healthy/gyo. I would buy it x
ReplyDeleteCan't beat a bit of 'make it up as you go along'. It has saved manay a problem in our culinary efforts.
ReplyDeleteYour recipe for pesto sounds so simple, and I might add, delicious. I love a bit of pesto with some pasta, and I absolutely love pickled beets!
ReplyDeleteMy mother adores beetroot, beetroot pesto might be interesting for her.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't taste beetrooty at all, just like a deeper more intense Pesto flavour. Very moreish, I've been dolloping it in everything :-)
DeleteSounds lovely Sue x
ReplyDeleteI've always tossed the leaves but honey, I LOVE ME some pickled beets. I could eat a whole jar at one sitting. I swear!!
ReplyDeleteDo you just use Malt vinegar ?
ReplyDeleteI use distilled Malt Vinegar because that's what I always have in (I use it instead of fabric conditioner in the washing machine), but yes you can use Malt Vinegar. Whatever vinegar you use will just turn dark red with Beetroot :-)
DeleteSell me a jar of the beetroot pesto!
ReplyDeleteSorry I've only got the one .... and it's mine all mine ;-)
DeleteMmm, looks delicious :)
ReplyDeleteWaste not, want not. Isn't that the truth! May I ask what type of food processor you use please?
ReplyDeleteI have a food processor that sits on top of my old Kenwood. I also have a little mini electric one with a glass bowl, and I also use the Nutribullet.
DeleteTwo people gave me potatoes from their gardens, someone else gave me kale, I had half a carton of passata left over and some soggy cauliflower needing used up and two broccoli stalks. An hour later I had six servings of delicious tomato and vegetable soup. I don't like waste either. Now, what to do with the half of a red cabbage someone else has just given me?
ReplyDeleteThat would be a nice soup!!
DeleteHow about Pickled Red Cabbage, or a most gloriously coloured Coleslaw?
Going for the coleslaw! I've just been given a bag of tomatoes and promised lots of apples. And next door came round with 2 jars of pickle (one beetroot and one tomato) and a tub of parsley. It's definitely the growing season, although people up here in the north of Scotland are saying it's been a bad year for plums and tomatoes. Thanks for the ideas x
DeleteForgot to add, have you tried making beetroot and chocolate cake? Absolutely wonderful!
ReplyDeleteNo I haven't .... I don't like cake, especially chocolate cake. My only exception is the occasional piece of carrot cake without the frosting, and even that only once or twice a year!!
DeleteLovely Hubby DOES like cake, but as he's a diabetic I only make him one every now and then. Best to keep temptation out of the house..
I hardly ever eat cake either but I have a teen son with hollow legs!! But the beetroot and chocolate cake is delicious.
DeleteI had no idea you could eat beetroot leaves, I'm off to see if I can find some at the farmer market so I can have a go at the pesto :-)
ReplyDelete