28 May 2018

Kale Pesto

woman wearing red apron making pesto in a food processor

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As many of you know, my beloved—a grown man—has the palette of a five year old. I mean, I love him, but cooking for him is a challenge. You know how parents hide broccoli in brownies? Yeah, that pretty much sums up my strategy.

linen tea towel monogrammed with the initials C C, brick of parmesan cheese, wooden bowl full of pine nuts, grater, and small wooden bowl on white plate

Olivewood Salt Keeper and Peugeot Paris Pepper Mill, Williams Sonoma

And it’s a good thing he doesn’t really read my blog, because I’m about to share the recipe for the kale pesto that’s now sitting in my freezer. It’s part of the postpartum food preparations I’ve been busy whipping up so I don’t have to worry about cooking meals while I’m lost in newborn land.

woman's hand wearing gold ring reaching into bowl full of pine nuts, antique linen tea towel monogrammed with the initials C C, plate of salt and pepper, white food processor and bottle of olive oil

woman wearing red apron pouring olive oil into a food processor making pesto

Billy wouldn’t eat kale if his life depended on it. Hashtag no greens. Hashtag pain in my ass.

woman wearing red apron grating cheese into food processor making pesto

woman wearing red apron cracking pepper into a food processor making pesto and on the table is a wooden bowl and a grater

But don’t worry friends, he’ll never see this kale pesto coming! Thankfully, I got him eating pesto in the early years of our relationship, so I can serve this and know A) he’ll eat it, and B) I’m getting the nutrients I (we) need. He’ll be none the wiser.

woman sticking out her tongue wearing red apron making pesto in a food processor and a man grating parmesan cheese into the pesto

He has no clue.

The recipe couldn’t be simpler!

woman wearing red apron holding bowl of pesto pasta and a wooden spoon

Kale Pesto

1 bunch of kale
1 packed cup of basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 tsp salt
a few strong cranks of the pepper grinder

Wizz everything together in the food processor.

brown spatterware bowl full of pesto pasta

Spotted Bowl, West Elm

This pesto has a bright, green flavor. Add it to pasta (hot or cold), salads, or raw veggies (just some ideas!) for that classic basil taste. This is the staple in my summer cooking. Billy will love it. And so will you!

photos: Jen Trahan

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Join the Discussion

A Study in Attention

I attended an event last week hosted by GlobalGiving, a non-profit organization I represent as an ambassador. They invited economist, professor, and writer, Bill Easterly, to come and talk about his new book, The Tyranny of Experts. He spoke about philanthropy and human rights, sharing stories of those in need who captured headlines only to fade out of our awareness with the next morning’s news. What I found fascinating about Professor Easterly’s presentation was his excavation of the root of action. Rather than quenching our thirst for a list of actionable items on a powerpoint slide, he directed our attention to the question, “How do we get people to care?” My takeaway from the event was simple but profound: when we care deeply, action is effortless.

Impromptu Entertaining

One of my biggest inspirations for entertaining comes from a scene in Breakfast at Tiffany’s where Holly slips a handwritten note under Paul’s door inviting him over for drinks. I love everything about it—the personal note, the impromptu invite, the throw-it-all-together-at-the-last-minute attitude. As a recovering perfectionist and a chronic over thinker, spontaneous entertaining is one of the sharpest tools in my h(om)e practice because it asks me to go with the flow.

A Practice of Practice

One day, a few months ago, I was sitting at my desk minding my own business when the phone rang. It was my beloved. As usual, he cut right to the chase: “Babe, come downstairs and help me unload the van.”

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﻿﻿May this meditation help you find the peace within. I look forward to sharing more inspiration and goodies with you in my regular newsletters.

May this meditation help you find the peace within. I look forward to sharing more inspiration and goodies with you in my regular newsletters.