I can’t believe The Brazen Kitchen is two years old and The Brazen Kitchen ON Pittsburgh Magazine is a year old! Yes, I will say it. Time flies!
Every Tuesday, I will be posting archive recipes from the blog or the magazine! I know I sometimes need a refresh on favorites I have forgotten in my kitchen! I hope you find it useful!
One of my favorite posts ever is the maiden post on Pittsburgh Magazine – Garlic Mustard and Stinging Nettle Pesto. Aside from using surprising ingredients (weeds!) for a beloved staple, this recipe spawned a hit NPR Weekend Edition story and a Garden Fork TV episode.
Garlic Mustard and Stinging Nettle Pesto with Roasted Walnuts
Yield: About 1 1/2-2 cups
My motto with greens is “when in doubt, pesto.” I think its one of the best ways to prepare a newly encountered green to appreciate its full flavor. And this combination did not disappoint. I used roasted walnuts to round out and deepen the flavor even more and lemons provided a beautiful counterbalancing brightness.
2-3 cups garlic mustard leaves
1 cup packed blanched stinging nettle leaves*
3/4 cup roasted walnuts
4 cloves garlic
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T lemon juice
zest of 1/2 a lemon (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add more oil to desired consistency (mine was more like a paste). Season with salt and pepper.
*Stinging nettles…..sting. Blanching removes the sting. Boil some water, add a little bit of salt and blanch the nettles for about 5 minutes. Wear gloves when harvesting and when dropping them into the boiling water.
