Kale-Cilantro-Hazelnut-Chile Pesto
Another pesto combo from Chef Michele Hunter of Hamlet & Ghost, Saratoga Springs, NY. From chermoula to salsa verde or chimichurri, herbs blitzed with nuts, citrus and olive oil appear across world cuisines as a bright, bold mouthful and play versatile roles as a dressing, spread, marinade, dip, or topping for meats. Pesto with basil and pine nuts is the Italian classic, but you don’t have to stick to herbs. Look in your fridge and use carrot tops, beet greens, scallions, jalapeno, vinegar, mustard.
Ingredients
Ingredients
| 2 cups kale, stems removed |
| 1 small bunch cilantro |
| 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts |
| 1/4 cup olive oil |
| 1/4 cup neutral vegetable oil |
| 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar |
| 1 clove garlic (optional) |
| 1/2 seeded jalapeno |
| 1 pinch salt |
Kale-Cilantro-Hazelnut-Chile Pesto Directions
Lightly rinse off your greens, if needed. Combine kale, cilantro, jalapeno, and hazelnuts in a blender. Lightly pulse to blitz. Slowly drizzle in the oil and lemon juice and continue to blitz until smooth. Sprinkle in the salt a little at a time, to taste, and give a final blitz to mix well.
Recipe notes
If you don’t have a blender or processor, you can also finely chop the ingredients and mash to a paste in a mortar and pestle or even with the back of a spoon in a bowl. Add the oil to create a wetter mixture and continue mashing until smooth. Store in a jar in the refrigerator To freeze: If you plan to freeze pesto, first plunge leaves/herbs into boiling water (5-10 seconds) and then into an ice bath before blitzing. This will keep the color green and vibrant. Freeze in ice cube trays.
