Pesto
Makes 6 servings
2 cups basil leaves firmly packed
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Crushed garlic
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup pine nuts, walnuts or pecans
Put basil, olive oil, garlic and salt in a processor. Process until basil is chopped. Add nuts and process until nuts are flecks, just visible.
Great on pasta, hot or cold, add to tomato sauce or as a base for Bruschetta bread.
Pesto will keep in fridge for 5 days.
I fill ice cube trays with the Pesto sauce, after it freezes I pop it out of the tray(single serving size) and store it in an air tight container.
Dandelion Pesto
12 ounces (350g) washed and cleaned dandelion leaves
1 cup (250 ml) olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled
6 tablespoons (40g) pine nuts or walnuts
1 ½ teaspoon of Celtic or Himalayan salt
2 ½ ounces (70g) of Parmesan cheese, grated
Put about one-third of the dandelion greens in a food processor or blender with the olive oil and pulse for one minute. Add the remaining dandelion greens in two batches, until they are finely chopped. Add the garlic, nuts, salt and Parmesan cheese. Process until smooth. If mixture is too thick you can add more oil.
This Pesto can be refrigerated in a jar for up to 4 days or frozen up to 2 months.
Spread on crostini, use as a dressing for potato salad, toss with pasta a chicken or swirl into a bowl of soup or chilli…..just sooo delicious
Fermented Chili Sauce
Seasoned with fresh garlic this fermented hot chili sauce is rich with flavor, bright and fiery. Traditionally, all hot chili sauces were prepared through fermentation – and many of the world’s most renowned and well-loved sauces are still prepared through this time-honored technique of combining hot chilies with salt and allowing it to sit and brew away.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: food processor (optional) mason jar fine mesh sieve
INGREDIENTS: 3 pounds fresh chili peppers (any chili will do - cayenne peppers, jalapeños, Scotch bonnets, Holland chilies, serranos etc.) 4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 2 TB unrefined cane sugar, optional 2 tsp unrefined sea salt ¼ cup water 2 capsules of probiotic (culturelle)
PROCESS:
1. Snip the stems from the chilies, but leave their green tops intact.
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, or mince by hand, until chopped to a fine pasty texture.
3. Spoon the chili paste into a glass mason jar and allow it to ferment, covered, at room temperature for five to seven days.
4. After the chili paste has bubbled and brewed for about a week, set a finemesh sieve over a mixing bowl and spoon the fermented chili paste into the sieve.
5. With a wooden spoon, press the chili paste into the sides of the sieve so that the sauce drips from the sieve into the waiting mixing bowl.
6. Once you’ve pressed and pushed the chili sauce through the sieve, pour the sauce from the bowl into jar or bottle and store in the refrigerator. The sauce will keep for several months.
7. Don’t discard any remaining chili paste; rather, use it to season stir-fries, eggs and other dishes
Apple and Beet Relish
A near-perfect side to pan-fried pork chops seasoned with sage or to a classic roast beef, beetroot relish provides an intensity of flavor coupled with nourishing micronutrients including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
EQUIPMENT: grater or food processor mason jar or vegetable fermenter tool for mashing
INGREDIENTS: 3 large apples (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored but not peeled 3 large beets (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled 2 star anise pods 1 TB whole cloves 1 TB unrefined sea salt 2 caps of probiotics
PROCESS:
1. Shred apples and beets by hand, or in a food processor.
2. Toss the shredded apples and beets together until well-combined and mixed together.
3. Add the star anise and whole cloves to the apples and beetroot, and continue to toss until the spices are evenly distributed among the shredded fruit and vegetables.
4. In a mason jar or, preferably, a vegetable fermenter, layer the apple and beetroot.
5. Periodically sprinkle unrefined sea salt and probiotics over the layers of apple and beetroot and mash with a wooden spoon or mallet to encourage the fruit and vegetables to release their juices, creating a luscious brine to encourage the proliferation of beneficial bacteria.
6. If, after mashing the apples and beets with a mallet or wooden spoon, the brine created by the salt and juice fails to completely submerge the vegetables, prepare a separate brine by dissolving 1 tablespoon unrefined sea salt in 1 quart filtered water and pour this salty mixture over the apples, beets and spices until they are completely covered. Doing so minimizes the risk of contamination by undesirable bacteria, mold and fungi.
7. Ferment in a mason jar or vegetable fermenter for a minimum of three to four days, or longer, depending on the level of warmth in your kitchen.
8. After your apple and beetroot relish has sufficiently cultured, remove it from the vegetable fermenter and gently pick out the star anise pods and whole cloves.
9. Place the apple and beetroot relish into a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
Cucumber Relish
This dill pickle relish recipe produces an old-fashioned, fresh, dill pickle relish that will last up to a couple of months in the refrigerator.
EQUIPMENT: quart-sized, wide mouth jar with tightly fitting lid
INGREDIENTS: 4-5 pickling cucumbers 2 TB fresh dill (or 2 tsp. dried dill) 2 TB sea salt 2 capsules of probiotic (culturelle)
PROCESS: Wash cucumbers well and chop or grate them in a food processor or by hand. Stir in remaining ingredients. Place mixture in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar. Using a kitchen mallet or wooden spoon, squeeze the grated cucumbers down and allow liquid to cover them. If there’s not enough liquid to cover, add filtered water to get the job done. The top of the liquid should be at least one inch below the top of the jar (that’s to make room for all that glorious fermentation). Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 2 days (or up to 5 days) before transferring to refrigerator. You can taste the relish during the fermentation process to know if it’s ready or not.
Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 Tbsp. Fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon of honey
½ tsp. Of poppy seeds
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
mix
