Have you ever cooked using your vegetables’ green leaves, such as those from radishes, fennel, carrots and beets? You can use these greens to make some easy and tasty recipes! To make use of what’s in your pantry, we recommend our no-waste garlic scape and greens pesto recipe.
Make this pesto with just a few ingredients. Not only is it high in protein, but it lets you use all parts of your vegetables instead of throwing the scraps away in the compost bin. You can serve it on pasta, use it as a veggie dip, spread it on crackers or add it to salad dressings.
Yields: Varies depending on quantities used
Ingredients :
- 1 handful of vegetable greens and fronds (such as radish, fennel, carrot, beet, plantain, basil, coriander, chives)
- 5 or 6 garlic scapes
- 1 cup (250 ml) nutritional yeast
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) pumpkin seeds, soaked for 8 hrs, rinsed and drained OR 2/3 cup (160 ml) slivered almonds
- Olive oil to add texture
- Lemon juice and zest
- Maple syrup, to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
Carefully wash, pat dry and chop the vegetable greens and fronds.
Cut the garlic scapes into fine slices.
Place in a food processor with the nutritional yeast and the seeds or nuts.
Pulse to blend to prevent the mixture from heating.
Add the olive oil gradually until desired consistency. Pour in a bowl and add the lemon juice and zest by hand.
Adjust the seasoning to taste (salt, pepper, maple syrup).
Serve on gluten-free pasta, use as a dip or spread, or add to your steamed vegetables or salad dressings for extra flavour.
The pesto will keep up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
*You can also zest an orange using a Microplane grater.
This recipe comes from Le livre qui fait du bien by Guylaine Cliche, available here (French only).
