Who remembers that song from the first Muppets Movie, “It’s not Easy Being Green?” For some reason that song always pops into my head when I make Pesto. And, who can resist that beautiful emerald green color and that fresh fresh smell of basil that simply defines summer for me.
This recipe is a spin on the traditional Pesto recipe, using spinach and basil as the base for a tasty and vitamin-packed salad dressing. Drizzle it over fresh tomatoes for a simple easy side dish or combine with other ingredients to make a heartier salad that can be a full meal. For our photograph we tossed some of the dressing with garbanzo beans, black olives, halved cherry tomatoes and feta cheese, spooned this mixture over a bed of lettuce and drizzled more dressing over the top.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups fresh spinach
6 – 8 fresh basil leaves
Juice from a lemon
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large clove of garlic
Optional – handful of walnuts or roasted almonds
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
Combine all of the above ingredients in a blender jar and blend until combined well.
Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
The White Oak Inn
http://wwwwhiteoakinn.com
Yvonne Martin
Proud to be the Ohio Broad