Parsley pesto

At long last I seem to have found the perfect place to grow parsley and have some thriving plants mixed in with the mint at the cooler end of one of my raised beds. There’s so much of it this year that instead of struggling to find enough for everyday cooking I’ve got a glut to use up, so I tried making parsley pesto and very nice it is too!

I more or less followed this recipe by Darina Allen, but I used curly parsley rather than flat, walnuts instead of pine kernels and garlic chives instead of clove garlic (because real garlic plays havoc with my digestion these days). I also added a squeeze of lemon juice to give it a bit more bite – well, recipes are just guidelines really, aren’t they?

I used gluten-free buckwheat pasta spirals, but I think it would be good with most types of pasta. It’s OK without the cheese if you prefer dairy-free, but needs a bit more seasoning.

I froze a test portion, but haven’t tried it yet. If it tastes OK I’ll be freezing more for later use. I’ll also freeze some chopped parsley in ice-cubes to add to soups and stews in the winter. I occasionally make a mug of parsley tea which tastes pleasant and is supposed to be good for the kidneys, amongst other things.

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