Carrot Top Pesto

My mind was blown when I learned you can make pesto with just about anything green!

Learning this kind of changed my world. I’ve made the traditional pesto out of basil and pine nuts and of course is was delicious. But then I ran out of basil and it was too expensive to buy huge bundles of basil from the store.

Fresh carrots from the garden

The majestic double-entangled carrots

We planted carrots in the garden this year and we’ve had a good little harvest. We’ve tried fermenting the carrots with a mason jar fermentation kit, but then we were left with all the carrot greens. I hate the thought of throwing them away and could have composted them, but wanted to try to eat them. After all, they’re chock full of nutrients. They have a bitter and spicy flavor that lends itself well to… pesto!

Bebe waits patiently in anticipation of spilled Parmesan cheese

I’ve been playing around with the ingredients, like swapping out the basil with carrot greens and the pine nuts for pecans. And since I started foraging this year, I’ve made pesto with violet greens, garlic mustard, and even beet greens from the garden. As long as you have olive oil, hard cheese, garlic, salt, nuts and greens, you should be able to make a flavorful pesto that’ll keep in the fridge for a couple weeks!

Pesto in the food processor - almost done

My food processor is also key to making a great pesto. I did a lot of research when I was looking for a food processor and found that the Cuisinart checked all of the boxes. It has two different sized bowls and four different blade attachments for shredding, slicing, mixing, and blending. I got it a few years ago and it’s been a staple in my kitchen, especially with all of the food preserving I do.

• 4 cups greens

• 1 cup grated Parmesan

• 1/2 cup nuts

• 3/4 cup olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1/2 tbsp salt

Place all ingredients in food processor. Blend until mixed well - add more olive oil for smoother consistency. Pour into glass jar with lid and keep in refrigerator.