Cilantro Pesto

One thing I’ve learned from my CSA farm share: organic vegetables go bad fast. It makes me wonder if the folks over at Whole Paycheck are playing fast and loose with the organic label. (I tease because I’m jealous. Their produce section makes me happier than Bloomingdale’s.) So when I bought a big, beautiful bunch of cilantro at Saturday’s farmer’s market, I knew I needed to do something delicious with it before the end of the weekend.

My taste buds craved the perfect balance of brightness and heat, so I improvised with a few basic ingredients to create an Asian-inspired cilantro pesto. What I love about pesto is that you don’t have to be to precise about your ingredients. Like garlic? Add a ton of garlic! Add cheese to make it creamy or more oil so that it soaks well into sandwich bread. It’s done best when suited to your taste.

I served my pesto over Japanese wheat noodles. They have a nice bite that pairs well with the boldness of these flavors. Now tell me your pesto secrets!

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Cilantro Pesto

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

• a handful of peanuts
• the whole darned bunch of cilantro leaves
• juice of half a lime
• about a tablespoon of sesame oil
• a clove of raw garlic. Back off vampire trend!
• a few splashes of Sriracha

Method:

Combine all the above in a handy mini-chopper and you’re done.