Relishments

Savoring life in the Berkshires

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
    • Start Here
    • Relishments Around the Web
    • Flexitarianism
      • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Reviews
  • The Berkshires
    • Boothbay, Midcoast Maine and More
    • Adventures in Other Places
  • Contact
    • Sponsor

Don’t Be Wasteful: Make Spring Greens Pesto

Published on June 19, 2012 By Emily. Updated on August 8, 2020

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

When you get your produce from a farmer’s market or CSA, it sometimes looks a little different than at the grocery store.  For one thing, it’s not as perfect looking and usually not as clean, both of which I’m completely alright with.  Straight carrots are highly overrated.  But there’s also the issue of greens; supermarket turnips and beets often don’t have the greens attached at the store.  But our recent turnips and beets from our CSA have.  I always feel a little guilty throwing out fresh, organic produce that I paid good money for, so I opted to turn the greens into pesto.

pasta with pesto

This recipe isn’t as much of a recipe as it is a guideline for getting started.  In short, you add your greens into the food processor with olive oil and whatever other additions you’d like, process until it reaches your preferred pesto consistency and enjoy.  This recipe can be easily stored in the freezer for later use, which is perfect because the fresher your greens are when you make this, the better it will taste.

Spring Greens Pesto

Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Servings 1 and 1/2 cups

Ingredients
  

For the Pesto

  • 8 cups mixed beet and turnip greens washed and stems removed
  • 2 stalks green garlic cut into inch long pieces
  • olive oil

Possible additions

  • salt
  • Parmesan cheese
  • basil
  • other herbs
  • garlic
  • pine nuts
  • almonds
  • sun-dried tomatoes

Instructions
 

  • Add 1/3 of the beet and turnip greens to the food processor. Pulse to chop. When the greens are chopped enough to allow room for more greens, add the same amount again and pulse to chop.
  • Add the last of the greens and the green garlic, as well as any other additions you're using, to your food processor. Drizzle in olive oil by going around the bowl of the food processor 4 times. Pulse until all ingredients are evenly sized and well mixed.
  • Add additional olive oil and continue to process until the pesto develops the consistency you prefer.
  • Use immediately, store in the refrigerator or freeze. This pesto can be used on pasta, as a sandwich spread, stirred into soup or in a multitude of other applications.

spring greens pesto

Related Posts

Family-Friendly Baked Eggplant
Twice as Good (CSA Meal Plan #152)
Spring Firsts: Farmer’s Markets and Fiddlehe...
Pumpkin Obsession: Pasta Sauce
Did you enjoy this post? Share it!

Filed Under: recipe, vegetarian main dish, weeknight Tagged With: CSA, pasta, vegan, vegetarian

« Highlights: Warm Weather Beverages
#45: Making a Birthday Cake from Scratch »

Comments

  1. Lucy says

    June 20, 2012 at 4:34 pm

    I love turnip and beet greens, sauteed in some EVOO with garlic and lemon, probably more than the root veggies themselves. Does that make me weird?

    • Emily says

      June 24, 2012 at 1:57 pm

      No, it makes you awesome!

  2. Beth says

    June 21, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    Thank goodness I just read this.

    a) I didn’t know what “green garlic” was, but it’s sitting on my counter right now. (I thought it might be some type of scallion.)
    b) I have a ton of greens from my farm share that i don’t know what to do with.
    c). Pesto extravaganza coming up! (I was already going to make the scape pesto I’ve been reading so much about.)

    • Emily says

      June 24, 2012 at 1:56 pm

      So glad I could help! I believe that technically green garlic is garlic that just isn’t fully matured before it’s harvested. At any rate, it’s delicious. Let me know how your pesto turns out!

Trackbacks

  1. Back In the Game (CSA Menu Plan #26) says:
    June 6, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    […] on the agenda for the week: radish and turnip green pesto to freeze and strawberry ice […]

  2. New Adventures: The Best New Recipes I Tried in July says:
    July 31, 2015 at 9:42 pm

    […] that I make frittatas all the time.  The first new addition was pesto.  I used some of my frozen spring greens pesto, instead of basil pesto, and it worked great.  I’ve also never added tomatoes to my frittata, […]

  3. Finally Back at the Farm (CSA Menu Plan #53) | Relishments says:
    June 7, 2016 at 8:42 pm

    […] tossed with with Spring Greens Pesto (frozen last year) and spinach (from the farmers market last […]

Welcome!

photo of EmilyWelcome to Relishments! Follow along with my adventures in cooking and eating in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.

The Berkshires
Recipe Index
CSA Menu Plan
First Time?
 

Support Relishments on Patreon

Just so you know…

I’m just a girl who loves to cook and eat. This site is not a source for nutritional information.

Relishments is affiliated with various sponsors. Some product links on this site are affiliates; I may get portion of the sale. All opinions on this site are honest, regardless of revenue opportunities. Find out more about my policies here

relishments

Emily
I am literally weeks behind in my work life and my I am literally weeks behind in my work life and my blog posts, but I just hit publish on my end of August/beginning of September meal plans! Some blogging progress is better than none! Click the link below or visit my profile to see how we used these 2 CSA pick ups from @mightyfoodfarm.
.
.
.
https://www.relishments.com/blog/august-slipped-away-csa-meal-plan-153/
.
.
.
#MightyFoodFarm #EatLocal #EatSeasonal #VermontGrown #CSApickup #CSAshare  #KnowYourFarmerKnowYourFood #MenuPlanning #MealPlanning #igers413 #igers413_food #BerkshireFoodies
It's always a beautiful day at the @coastalmainebo It's always a beautiful day at the @coastalmainebotanicalgardens.
.
.
.
#Maine #CoastalMaineBotanticalGardens #Boothbay
We made our annual trip to @thebistrobox in Great We made our annual trip to @thebistrobox in Great Barrington today, bringing along our 6 year old for the first time. 
Pictured: onion rings, pressed Cubano, BOX burger, raspberry mint iced tea/ (huge) side of fries, grilled hot dog, strawberry lemonade. Everything was delicious and my daughter especially enjoyed trying out the lawn games.
Until next year!
.
.
.
#igers413_food
#igers413 #BerkshireFoodies #InTheBerkshires #EatLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #GreatBarrington #TheBistroBox
New on the blog: a list of everything I made for d New on the blog: a list of everything I made for dinner this week. A double @mightyfoodfarm CSA pick up plus hosting my in-laws for dinner resulted in me actually planning quality meals.
.
Get the recipe links at https://www.relishments.com/blog/twice-as-good-csa-meal-plan-152/ or click the link in my profile.
.
#MightyFoodFarm #EatLocal #EatSeasonal #VermontGrown #CSApickup #CSAshare  #KnowYourFarmerKnowYourFood #MenuPlanning #MealPlanning #igers413 #igers413_food #BerkshireFoodies
I had the opportunity to visit the Bridge of Flowe I had the opportunity to visit the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls this morning. It was as beautiful as I remembered and a great morning for hanging out with some friends.
.
.
.
#igers413 #ShelbourneFalls #BridgeOfFlowers #WesternMass #WesternMA
Brian and I finally made it to @ the week before w Brian and I finally made it to @ the week before we went on vacation. I loved the atmosphere, decor, location and, of course, the beer. All eight beers we tasted were delicious and I'm looking forward to going back soon. 
More thoughts on the blog at the link in my profile or at https://www.relishments.com/blog/hot-plate-brewing-in-pittsfield/
.
.
.
#PittsfieldMA #MassachusettsBrewery #igers413_food #igers413 #BerkshireFoodies #InTheBerkshires #DrinkLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires
I made my first ever trip to @seconddropfarm in La I made my first ever trip to @seconddropfarm in Lanesborough this morning to pick blueberries with my daughter. We had a lovely time at the farm, and especially enjoyed the short walk to the lush blueberry bushes, and the beautiful flower and lavender fields. We didn't participate in pick-your-own flowers today, but it's definitely on my radar for the future.
We are looking forward to some muffin baking soon! 🫐
.
.
.
#igers413_food
#igers413 #BerkshireFoodies #InTheBerkshires #EatLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #LanesboroughMA #SecondDropFarm #PickYourOwnBlueberries
It's good to be home, but we had a great time with It's good to be home, but we had a great time with Brian's side of the family in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina last week.
.
.
.
#WrightsvilleBeach #NorthCarolina #WilmingtonNC
15 seconds of calm. Wrightsville Beach, NC . . . # 15 seconds of calm.
Wrightsville Beach, NC
.
.
.
#WrightsvilleBeach #WilmingtonNC
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in