This isn’t a recipe as much as it is a formula. In the summer months when we are enjoying vegetables fresh from the garden and the farmers market, we have the occasional leftover. A cup of cooked beans, several ears of corn, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers, you get the idea. I decided one evening to combine what I had on hand into a summer vegetable salad that I dressed with a few splashes of a lemon vinegar and a few tablespoons of fresh pesto from the garden. You could even add a grain like quinoa or some cooked pasta. A quick and easy side dish, as long as you have pesto on hand. And why shouldn’t you? Take advantage of your garden’s or the farmers market’s fresh basil and make a batch today.
Basil Pesto
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients
- 3 cloves of peeled garlic
- 3T pine nuts or walnuts
- 1/4t salt
- 3c gently packed basil leaves
- 1/2c extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 c freshly grated Parmigiano
Directions
- Chop the garlic, pine nuts and salt in a food processor until finely ground, about 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves and process until no whole leaves remain, another 15 seconds or so.
- With the machine running, pour the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Stop and scrape down the sides, process for a few more seconds. The mixture should be ground to a paste-like consistency with a little of the leaves texture still remaining.
- Add cheese and pulse until incorporated.
Pesto Summer Vegetable Salad
Serves four to six
Ingredients
- 8 c mixed vegetables such as cooked asparagus spears, cut into thirds, avocado slices, roasted or raw pepper strips, cooked corn off the cob, cherry tomatoes, sliced in half. cooked green or yellow beans in 1″ pieces, roasted portabello mushroom strips, cucumber rounds, cooked zucchini slices-try to have a variety of at least three
- White wine, Sicilian lemon or another light vinegar
- Basil pesto
- Crumbled feta or goat cheese
Directions
- For the dressing, in a small bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons pesto and 1 tablespoon vinegar.
- Place vegetables in a large bowl.Add just enough vinaigrette to moisten the vegetables taking care not to overdress it (you may not need it all). Add the feta, if using and toss again. Let the salad rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and then taste the salad again. If necessary, add a little viniagrette and salt and pepper. Serve as soon as possible.
