Oregano And Arugula Pesto
4 Comments
I'll be the first to admit this version is hardly authentic. But it's light and savory, a little spread for the next sandwich, for wraps, or just on crackers. What could be better?
Besides, claims of authenticity are so overrated in the culinary world. Mostly, when food writers howl about what's authentic and what's not, it indicates either 1) they're trying to establish some bailiwick that they can defend against all comers or 2) they themselves have run out of ideas and are trying to man the forts against others who are better at innovating.
Sounds cranky? Oh, I suppose so. I bore of the precious. Do I like the classics--like a good basil pesto? Of course. But really, who's to say what's authentic? All I know if that we got a handful of oregano from our CSA last week as well as a pound of baby arugula. Together, they made a terrific pesto we slurped down all weekend.
It goes like this: put 1 pound arugula leaves, 1/2 cup loosely packed oregano leaves, 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, 1/4 cup olive oil, one halved garlic clove, a dash of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper in a food processor. Give it a whir until grainy, adding a little more olive oil if it's too thick to process but letting the processor run until the nuts thicken the whole thing into a sauce.
And that's it. Scrape it into a little bowl and refrigerate. No need to cover the top with olive oil since there's no basil to turn brown over time.
Reader Comments (4)
I'm with you in the authentic dept. And who's to verify anyway? Isn't food about being creative with fresh ingredients? Obviously it is.
Just had a conversation with a farmer on Saturday about arugula pesto, so thanks for the post. I am trying to get him to do added value products since they don't last, and it seems better than feeding all that great stuff to the chickens.
Now,, to get my processor going...
The question of authenticity is definitely one of my pet peeves as well. I want my food to be GOOD. That's far more important me to than it being authentic. What's the point on insisting on authentic foods if they're not as good, or they require ingredients I can't easily get, or they're too much work for me to actually bother making?
Now you tell me. We went with the mint (we had a choice at the NYC drop-off) since we had no idea what to do with a bunch of oregano. Give us some advance notice next time ;-).
Arugula Pesto is a great solution for garden arugula (rockette, rouquette, whatever) that's gone past the tender-salad-perfection stage, all the way along the spectrum to the bolting stage (happens fast and frequently in the South). Almost any herb combination is good, and with any kind of nuts, or no nuts. Maybe some curry leaf too! And then try pestos of other usually-discarded greens (VERY non-traditional), like carrot tops. Or fennel tops. Or even not-so-tender kale - maybe roast that just a little first. Perhaps with some toasted sesame oil, or another flavoring oil. It all freezes well, too. Waste not .....