Pea Shoot Pesto

Tim and I have joined a CSA this year. This acronym stands for Community Supported Agriculture. I belonged to a CSA back in Ithaca a number of years ago. At that time I was not always cooking and didn't know how to use many of the vegetables that came and thus tossed more than I used. As well, that was a very bad year for this particular farm as the weather didn't generate fields of lush produce. The weather was either too wet or too dry or too cold. I remember receiving a single sprig of an herb that was spindly and a bit pathetic looking thinking, "What the heck use will that give me?" It took many years for me to want to try this again. Now that I am cooking more days than I am not (and those days I'm not cooking are due to the plentiful leftovers) I feel ready for this adventure. This farm is apparently having a good year as the produce has been beautiful. They have only commented on a late frost zapping most of their apple crop. Boo!

One aspect I appreciate about the CSA concept stems back to my Accounting and Finance days. In terms of Accounting, the farm is attempting to manage their cash flows by requiring deposits and getting folks to "Buy-in" to an entire season. In turn, the farm is getting ideas on what to grow based on the tastes of their members; happy members invite their friends and a love spiral ensues. In terms of Finance, the farm is redistributing or sharing the inherent risk of farming. As a subscriber I am accepting an amount of risk that the crops will be less plentiful in exchange for that risk I receive organic produce at below super market prices. The farm is alleviating the risk that a less plentiful farming season will mean less money, but in exchange from the alleviation of this risk they are accepting less income than would be generated from a lush season sold on the open market. However, that ties back to managing their cash flows as they know exactly how much is coming in and can plan their expenditures on equipment and seed accordingly. It's a wonderful exchange.

Now that I am cooking more and am better about planning meals thus reducing the amount of food we throw away I am looking forward to a lush season. In our first crate, which is likely to be the smallest crate we receive, we had a bag of baby greens for salad, a bag of spinach, a head of green leaf lettuce, a bag of pea shoots, a bag of Oregano and Rosemary herbs, a bunch of green onions, a large basket of strawberries, and a loaf of seven grain bread along with a pound of shade grown coffee. That's a bounty! But I was up for the challenge.

The strawberries were easy to dispatch. The Friday Tim's folks came over we had Strawberry Shortcake which seems to be our go to dessert in the Spring/Summer. The left over strawberries I used in my breakfast yogurt and granola at the beginning of the week. The spinach would be easy too as I found a recipe for Spinach Pie in the Barefoot Contessa cookbook my mother gave me over Memorial Weekend. The pea shoots I found interesting as this was a culinary adventure I would never be able to take without this CSA. Pea shoots, I assume, are pulled when attempting to thin the crop. They thin the crop so the peas that are produced are large and glorious and concentrated in their flavor. But the shoots contain all the freshness and flavor of the final product and shouldn't go to waste, as evident by the bag stuffed to the brim of the sweet and grassy smelling clippings. Gratefully there was a recipe in the newsletter for Pea Shoot Pesto.

Unfortunately the only folks that will be able to take advantage of this recipe are the farmers out there. Unless you are lucky enough to have a farmer friend or a CSA wanting to fortify the first crate of the season. However, what this recipe does show is the versatility of the original Pesto recipe and how most unique sounding dishes are loosely based on a classic.

Classic Pesto
contains the following (I'm guessing at the quantities):

• 1/2 C Basil leaves
• 1/4 C Pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 1/4 C Parmesan Cheese
• 3 cloves of garlic (or more depending on taste)
• Kosher Salt & Cracked Pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 C Olive Oil

Whir in a blender or food processor and drizzle with the oil until desired consistency is reached. Spread on sandwiches, pizza, pasta. Dollop on soup. Combine with Mayo for an aioli dressing. Add to risotto. Limitless applications.

Pea Shoots Pesto
and the recipe looks like this:

• 1/2 C Pea Shoots and leaves. Stalks removed
• 1/4 C Walnuts, lightly toasted
• 1/4 C Parmesan Cheese
• 1 bunch green onions
• Kosher Salt & Cracked Pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 C Olive Oil

See the formula? Once you are comfortable swapping ingredients you can create some unique flavor combinations. Still whir this in your blender. My final meal looked like this...

Also need:

• 1 lb pasta, reserve 1 C pasta water
• 2 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• Parmesan cheese for garnish

Boil the pasta in salted water according to the manufacturers instructions. We used Bertolli Whole Grain Rotini which is the spiral shape and would really hold onto the Pesto. Before straining, reserve one cup of the pasta water. This luscious liquid has starch well integrated and is amazing at both thinning and thickening sauces as desired. Return the pasta to the pot after straining.

Pat the chicken with a paper towel. Lightly coat with the Lemon Pepper Seasoning. We use Mrs. Dash as the mix is salt free but still as tasty. Grill or cook in your skillet until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Cut into a large dice and toss in with the pasta.

Add the Pesto to the pasta and chicken and stir to combine. Use the reserved pasta liquid to thin the mix until desired consistency has been reached. I used 1/4 C this time, but to each their own. You want the sauce to cling and not be so wet it stays behind in the pot.

The flavor and smell was just like the bright and grassy flavor of peas. And yet there was a distinct reminiscent of the traditional Pesto flavor. I felt like I wanted a stronger flavor and would substitute garlic for the green onions, but I think that would be overpowering for the delicate intensity of the pea flavor.

 

Now try to imagine a Southwest version of this Pesto recipe to go with Blackened Chicken over angle hair pasta... hmm.