Parsley & Cashew Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup firmly-packed parsley
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- juice of 1 lemon
- Sea salt & pepper to season
- Approx. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Remove any tough stalks from the parsley and place into a food processor/ blender. Add the nuts, peeled garlic, lemon juice, and pinch of salt & pepper. Blend while drizzling in the olive oil - stop several times to scrape down the sides - until desired consistency is achieved. Check seasoning, adding extra lemon juice, salt & pepper. Scoop into a jar and store in the fridge using within 1 week.
It was perfect in every way. The weather was warm – a balmy 23C spring day to be exact. The venue was just right – a secret outdoor patio only a local would know about from when the Nelson Provincial Museum used to be a night club. And the food and wine perfectly satisfying. I couldn’t have imagined it in any other way. Today I share with you some photos from that perfect evening last week when I launched my Homegrown Kitchen 2015 Calendar. Thank-you to everyone who came along, I was delighted by the turn-out. And to my friends and dear sister Ana who lent a hand on the evening.
As I am a huge fan of local food I wanted to showcase some of my favourite artisan producers. Everyone I approached graciously supplied some of their finest for people to sample. All laid out on a long table, baskets of bread, and bunches of herbs and spring foliage. Thank-you to Kaimira Organic Wine, Wangapeka Cheese [that creamy blue!], Don Rodrigo Sourdough Bread, Kakariki Olive Oil and Da’ Maha Coconut Water [combined with pear juice, lemon and mint for the tastiest non-alcoholic fruit punch].
Find below the recipe for my Parsley & Cashew Pesto I made to accompany the spread and was asked numerous times for the recipe! It is dairy-free but you would honestly never know.
All images taken by my sister Ana Galloway.
Is there a particular type of parsley you use? I have a load of Italian flat leaf parsley at the mo. Do you think that would work?
Hi Debbie, I use both Italian and curly parsley, sometimes a combo, sometimes just one variety. They both work well. Just make sure it is a packed cup. Enjoy 🙂
looks like a lovely lunch party! i wish i could have come along. congratulations nicola xx
Thanks Melissa xx
Congratulations Nicola – looks like a wonderful launch party. Love your calendar and looking forward to cooking ALL the recipes, starting with the lamb curry this weekend at a gathering in a hut up a mountain! (There’s quite a few of us going so I wondered if lamb shoulder would be ok to use instead of lamb steak?).
Also, I made a wonderful herb & toasted sunflower seed pesto the other day with a class of 9 yr old school kids – mainly parsley but also some mint & coriander. It was surprisingly delicious and just goes to show you don’t need to use expensive pine nuts!
Thanks Nicky! Yes a lamb shoulder would work and we have also used goat which worked perfectly with the curry flavours.
The pesto sounds delightful. I rarely use pinenuts in fact I can’t remember the last time I did!
Have a great weekend and enjoy the curry 🙂
Yum, goat is a great idea! Thanks for the answer…will head to the butcher tomorrow morning and get it marinating asap 🙂
Made this in the weekend – amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe…..
It is a goodie hey, so simple and so tasty. It is a staple in our fridge.