Pesto Pesto Pesto!!! Who loves pesto?

Homemade pesto and cream cheese with sourdough crackers – soooo tasty!!!

When most people make it, it involves buying multiple plastic-wrapped bunches of basil, parsley and/or cilantro.

Why?

Because that’s how you make pesto!

Unless you’re a city farmer 🙂

ince I grew wary of the scary amounts of plastic packaging involved in making a small bowl of pesto, I have changed my definition of pesto. This has led to some very delicious adventures.

These days, my pesto is made simply of whatever edible green leaves can be picked in my yard or foraged around here. As a result, it’s different every time. It changes with the seasons.


Seasonal City Farm Pesto Recipe

Step 1

Pick 2 cups of edible leaves – a mixture of aromatic and savory leaves, such as: perennial basil, nasturtium, sweet potato leaves, hollyhock, horseradish, hedge nettle, or whatever. This changes every time but always contains leaves from my mighty perennial Magic Basil – which is probably one of the most worthwhile plants in my farm. Learn more about growing Magic Basil in Israel.

I always pick leaves from this perennial basil for my pesto. It’s not the same as the annual basil you buy in the supermarket, in that it lives for many years and the flavor is stronger. It grows and flowers all year and the bees adore it. It’s one of my favorite plants – and considering that I am the proud owner of 100s of beloved plants, that says a LOT! Look for it in your local nursery. In Hebrew it’s called “basilicum magic” – בזיליקום מ’גיק

Step 2

Check for bugs. Since these leaves will be ground to paste, a cursory check suffices. I make sure that the plant is not infested as a whole, and then glance at both the front and back of each leaf as I pick it. I don’t bother trying to remove tiny bugs. If there are bugs, I give the leaves to the chickens. It doesn’t feel like a “job” this way.

Step 3

Rinse the leaves to remove dust and dirt.

Fresh pesto ingredients ready for blending. All the ingredients here are grown/harvested by me!

Step 4

Blend your leaves together with:- 3 garlic cloves- 1/2 TBSP of lemon juice- 1-2 TBSP of olive oil (to taste)- 1/4 tsp of salt (to taste)Sometimes I add nuts, like almonds.

At the end you will have a smooth paste

Hey Presto! It’s Pesto


This pesto is delicious as a dip, in dressings, in scrambled eggs and on pasta. It DOES NOT taste exactly like classic pesto. Get ready for a new kind of yum.


Bonus recipe: Schug

Add a hot chili and 1/2 tsp of cumin and you have SCHUG – scrumptious on challah or pita alongside techina and Israeli salad!


Open your eyes to new pesto possibilities!
Invent your own and have fun!

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