Saratoga Farmers' Market

Pesto

Basil and Parsley Stem Pesto

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Recipe by Michelle Rabin, featured in Modern Farmer

This pesto is made by finely chopping the ingredients rather than placing them in a food processor. It makes the pesto hearty and crunchy and adds beautiful texture and flavor to any dish. This recipe works great as a dressing for salads and vegetables or spooned over roasted chicken, grilled steak and fish.

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

● ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted and finely chopped
● 1 cup parsley* stems, finely chopped
● ½ cup basil* stems, finely chopped
● 1 clove garlic*, finely chopped
● ½ cup Parmesan cheese*
● 1 tsp lemon zest
● ½ cup olive oil*
● Salt to taste

Directions
Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir.

Stems add beauty and flavor to summer roots

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Carrots, turnips, and beets. These are the everyday root vegetables at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market that we eat year-round. However, at this time of year, as summer harvests hit their peak, they shine. They come to market fresh from our area’s farm fields, often with their stems attached. These stems are not only pretty to look at but are edible, too.

Farmers harvest root vegetables by pulling them from the stem. These stems add nutrition and flavor to summer meals, not to mention value to your market purchases. The leafy greens of beets, turnips, and carrots are all sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. Here are a few tips for getting started:

Otrembiak Farm, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

● Carrot tops. Clip off the green feathery tops. Wash them well and rinse them a couple of times to remove excess dirt. Select the greenest and most tender tips of the bunch and add them to soups, stocks, or to vegetables you might be roasting or braising for the night’s meal. They taste somewhat like parsley but add a distinct carrot-y flavor.

Photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

● Turnip greens. The leafy greens that top Hakurei and other white summer turnips can make a pleasantly spiced appetizer when cooked by themselves. After removing the greens, wash them well and discard any yellowed or wilted leaves. To cook, chop the greens finely, and heat up a skillet. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, freshly chopped garlic, fennel seed, coriander, cumin and/or fenugreek. Toast the spices for a minute or so, then add the turnip greens. Toss them quickly in the hot pan with tongs or two wooden spoons so that they are mixed into the spices. Once the greens have wilted, serve them with a squeeze of lemon and your favorite beverage.

Owl Wood Farm, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

● Beet greens. These leaves along with their ruby-red stems have a rich flavor that is sometimes even more intense than the beets. After a good wash to remove grit, the younger leaves are delicious steamed or chopped finely for salads. Save the older leaves for stir-fries or saute them with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

Other stems also can yield delicious dishes. Try, for instance, adding the stems of basil, parsley, or cilantro to soups or to stocks. Or save them and use in pesto.

Kale Pesto Pasta

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Adapted from the recipe by Cookie and Kate

Cook Time and Prep Time: 13 minutes

INGREDIENTS
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
Pesto
● 4 cloves garlic*
● 1 small bunch of kale* (about 3 cups)
● ¾ cup hemp seeds or toasted walnuts
● 2 tablespoons lemon juice
● 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
● ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
● Red pepper flakes, optional
● Extra-virgin olive oil (more if desired)
● Optional: ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese*
Pasta
● 1 pound pasta*, any kind
● 1 cup reserved pasta water

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make the pesto: In a food processor, add the peeled garlic cloves and process until the garlic is minced. Add the kale, hemp seeds, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Turn on the food processor and drizzle in the oil. Process until the pesto reaches your desired consistency, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Taste and add more lemon, salt or pepper if necessary. (You can thin out the pesto with more oil, but if you’re serving with pasta, keep in mind that you can also thin it out with reserved pasta cooking water.)
2. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve one cup cooking liquid before draining the pasta. Let the pasta and pasta water cool for a minute to make sure the high heat doesn’t damage the pesto.
3. If you intend to have leftovers, you can mix the pasta and pesto together in your cooking pot, adding splashes of cooking water as necessary.