Capture Summer's Bounty with Herb Pesto

Reader Contribution by Hill Country Herbalist
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The Hill Country Herbalist is a Texas native, an artist, a foodie, an herbalist, a body care product line maker, a nutritionist to dear friends and family, a person who deeply understands food sensitivities and intolerances and how foods can affect cognitive and physical health, a wife, a friend, and a lover of nature. Follow her herbal adventures at www.hillcountryherbalist.com.

When it comes to cooking, I like to break the rules. Traditional pesto includes basil, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Fresh pesto is divine. It’s delicious and full of mouth-popping flavor. 

Herb Pesto with Scallops

One evening, I committed to making pesto for dinner and realized I didn’t have enough basil to harvest from in the garden. Inspired by the other herbs in the garden, I began to harvest Greek oregano, thyme, sage, Thai basil, jalapeno peppers (mild) and chives. Into the blender they all went! I also added pine nuts, garlic, fresh lemon juice and olive oil. I left the cheese out since I like it just as much without it.

Fresh summer herbs from the garden

The blend was harmonious and exciting! I placed a small pool of the pesto directly on a plate and gently nestled seared scallops on the pesto. For the salad, I placed fresh greens with tomatoes from the garden and I took some of the left over pesto and added a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Whalaa! A complementary salad dressing was made. This evening meal was joyous and herb-husband still raves about it to friends. Since it brought such happiness to our palette, I wanted to share this idea with you to hopefully bring joy to yours!

Photos by Hill Country Herbalist

Bon appétit!

  • Published on Jul 28, 2011
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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