Kale Stem Pesto

Limiting exposure to the outside world has us trying to be creative with the food we already have in the house. Kale stems are something that are often thrown away but they’re perfectly good to eat, think stir-fries, stews etc. Lately I’ve been using them to make this pesto: first they’re blanched to soften the tough outer stalk then blended with the typical suspects. A few ingredients in this recipe are non-negotiable (mainly the kale stems) but I tried to make this one flexible by giving alternative ingredient options in brackets - we’re working with what we’ve got here.

Kale Stem Pesto

Makes ~1.5 cups pesto

Stems from 1 large bunch kale (about 1+1/2 cups), roughly chopped into inch long pieces

1/2 cup nuts or seeds, toasted (pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds)

1 large or 2 small cloves garlic

1+1/2 tsp capers (optional)

1/4 cup parmesan, grated

1 cup olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

pepper + salt to taste

Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Blanch kale stems for 1 minute until bright green and tender, then transfer them to a bowl of ice water.

In a blender or food processor, pulse toasted nuts until they resemble breadcrumbs. Add in blanched kale stems, garlic, capers, parmesan, olive oil and lemon juice . Pulse until a smooth paste forms, adding more oil if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with pasta, on sandwiches, as a spread, etc.