Salsa Verde

Since perennial herbs are one of the first things up in the garden, I thought I'd pass on a great recipe for "Salsa Verde" - it's a yummy, tangy variation on pesto.

SALSA VERDE

1 cup (packed) fresh Italian or curly parsley (Italian is a bit more intensely flavoured)
2 Tbsp capers, drained
1 garlic clove, peeled (you can add a 2nd if you love garlic)
1/3 cup pine nuts (toasted if you want a stronger flavour)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (ideally cold-pressed)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor (a blender would work, too) combine the parsley, capers, garlic, pine nuts, vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth. With the machine running, pour the oil through the feed tube and combine until well mixed and smooth. Adjust the seasonings.

You can use this anywhere you'd use pesto. It's also great on bean dishes. I don't eat meat, but it would probably be great on something like chicken. You could also substitute basil for the parsley, for a slightly more 'pesto' flavour.

I made a huge batch last fall so I could use up the last of the herbs when I knew the killing frost was approaching. I divided it up into ziplock bags (or freezing it in ice cube trays would work, too) and then pulled it out periodically during the winter months for a bright taste of summer. Because of the oil, the sauce doesn't freeze into a hard block, so it's easy to break off a chunk for defrosting and put the rest back into the freezer.

It really only takes a minute or two to make it, and it's totally delicious.