Dula Notes ? Kale and Garlic Scape Pesto:

The first time I tried kale, it was true love. Its mild flavor, versatility and wonderful health benefits won me over quickly. It can be juiced, baked?or?saut?ed. Its exterior repells water better than most greens and that attribute allows it to hold up remarkably well in soup?or as a pizza topping.

I recently was caught up in a personal Vita-Mix demonstration at Williams Sonoma and went from, ?That?s crazy expensive? to ?I need one? in about 20 minutes. She talked about smoothies, homemade peanut butter, soup and ice cream. I hung on her every word until she told me that she hated kale. WHAT? I was no longer under her spell and I asked her if she?d ever tried kale chips. She made a face with a look in her eyes that told me not to suggest anything else that involved kale passing her lips. Maybe if we would have high-fived over our love of kale, I would have purchased the Vita-Mix. We?ll never know.

I received a bunch of kale in my local vegetable box and wanted to try making kale pesto. The shock of bright green on the pasta made for a beautiful meal and it was satisfying, too. I used pecans ?in this pesto and I thought it was delicious without distracting?from a traditional pesto flavor. The texture was just right.

Pesto and pasta are a natural pairing, but you can also use pesto instead of tomato sauce on pizza or spread it on toasted baguette slices and top with summer?s freshest tomatoes. A dollop on scrambled eggs sounds like a pretty good idea, too. It?s sure to never go to waste.

?

Recipe: Kale and Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta

Adapted from Farmhouse Table, serves 4-6.

1 bunch kale, washed and torn from the tough stem

1 bunch garlic scapes, woody ends removed and roughly chopped (or 2 garlic cloves)

1/2 cup raw peacans

1/4 cup grated parmesan, more for serving

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

sea salt to taste

1 pound rigatoni pasta (or your favorite)

1. Prepare a large bowl with cold water and ice. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale (that has been washed and removed from the tough stems) and using tongs, plunge kale into the boiling water for about 30 seconds and quickly transfer to the ice bath.?Squeeze kale to remove most of the water and place in a food processor.

2. If making pesto pasta, bring water back to a boil and cook the rigatoni pasta according to the directions on the box.

3. To the kale in the food processor, add roughly chopped garlic scapes (or garlic cloves), pecans, parmesan and a generous pinch of salt. Process until finely chopped. With the processor running, slowly stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until the pesto comes together. Taste and add more sea salt to taste. Scrape down the sides of the processor and process again to completely blend.

4. Drain pasta and mix with the batch of pesto. Stir gently until the pasta is coated. Serve immediately with extra parmesan, if you like.

?

Source: http://nicoledula.com/recipes/kale-and-garlic-scape-pesto

eat to live ron paul money bomb ron paul money bomb bon vivant zynga ipo zynga ipo sam hurd arrested