Asparagus.

It's always been one of my favorite foods. I wait anxiously for Spring to push the Asparagus up each year. It seems like I've concocted endless variations of Asparagus Pesto. It's a great way to pack a lot of necessary nutrients into a meal. I totally dig it with Brazil Nuts (another one of my favorite foods) but tonight, I had Walnuts readily available so I decided to give them a try. I did something very normal for me and put the Pesto on some roasted Sweet Potatoes. I put pretty much everything on Sweet Potatoes (yet another one of my favorite foods). But then, I took a risk and added some local Blueberries ... and it was delicious. I’ve also added some of my super mild Beet juice-infused Kraut and some fresh Mint from the garden. All surprisingly delicious.

My favorite part of cooking with local seasonal ingredients is that I get to try out and enjoy combinations that aren't conventional to me or to what I observe to be much of the culinary world.

I hope you enjoy these combinations too! 

This Asparagus Pesto could be used in any application in which you'd use Pesto. It's generally mild, however, so using it with some sort of bread, cracker, pasta, or mild slightly Sweet vehicle would showcase it the best. 

Ingredients 

2 C Roasted Asparagus

1/2 C Walnuts

1/4 C + 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

2 Cloves Garlic 

2 TBSP Nutritional Yeast

1 TBSP Lemon Juice 

1 TBSP Preserved Lemon or Lemon Rind

Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Take 2 bunches (ab 3/4 lb) and cut them into pieces about 1-2in. Toss in 2 TBSP Olive Oil and roast in an oven at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until the Asparagus is starting to get soft but is still al dente. Allow Asparagus to cool.

2. Place Walnuts into food processor alone and process for an 30 seconds, but not too fine. Chopping the nuts first allows for a nice texture overall, as the nuts tend to take more time than the Asparagus and if the Asparagus processes for too long, it become creamy (which, by the way is also delicious if that's the sort of thing you're into). 

3. Add remaining ingredients and process until Asparagus starts to break down but still maintains some texture (for lack of a better term--is still kind of stringy ... which tastes way better than it sounds!) 

4. ENJOY however you choose! 

Thank you for checking out my blog. I hope you'll also enjoy this recipe. Please feel free to let me know how it is if you give it a try as well as if the instructions are clear or could be clearer. 

🌿 Have a beautiful day 🌿