Parsley Pesto - vegan & gluten free

Happy Monday! I hope you had a relaxing weekend. I had a rare Saturday off, so obviously I checked out a new farmers' market. I didn't get too much, since I stocked up at my usual spot on Thursday, but it was fun to see a new one.

Hi, my name is Kate, and I'm a farmers' market addict.

Please tell me I'm not alone.

Anyway, I also made this easy pesto. Because of parsley's relative year-round availability, it's not something I feel like I have to hoard during the summer, but since I had a couple bunches and a Saturday, I figured I'd give it a try. Also, due to some shopping+meal planning miscalculations, I worried it would go bad before I got through it all. Et voila. Frozen parsley pesto.

What did you get up to this weekend?


Parsley Pesto - vegan & gluten free
adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Technically, of course this isn't pesto, but rather a puree. But when you serve it, "pesto" sounds way more impressive, so I suggest that's what you go with. I wouldn't serve this as it's own sauce on, say, pasta, but it would be a nice little something extra to brighten up dishes. Use it as a special garnish or a secret ingredient. If you're making and serving it fresh and want to thin it, try using some leftover pasta water instead of plain water for an extra oomph (and you'll save some water while you're at it).

I doubled this using two bunches of parsley I got at the farmers' market and froze it in a couple zip top bags.

2 C (about 2 oz) parsley leaves and stems, rinsed and dried
salt to taste
1/2 clove garlic, or more to taste
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil, or more
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar (I used white wine vinegar) or fresh squeezed lemon juice

Combine the parsley, a pinch of salt, the garlic, and about half the oil in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary. Gradually add the rest of the oil.

Add the vinegar, then a little more oil or some water if you prefer a thicker mixture. Taste & adjust the seasoning, then serve or cover and refrigerate for up to a couple of days.