Friday 3 October 2008

Greek Garden Pesto

For more than 2 months now I have been fantasising about this recipe from Peter at Kalofagas. Instead of basil, parmesan and pinenuts using basil, mint & parsley, with feta and almonds. How amazing does that sound?

I held back because Paul is something of a stickler for tradition when it comes to pesto. He will accept a variation on the cheese (I've done goats cheese before and been encouraged to do it again) but the basil and pinenuts are sacrosanct.

But now Peter is back from his summer in Greece and his amazing fresh-looking dishes are shining out across the blogosphere again. So it had to be done.

Sadly it is all store-bought herbs. I roasted some cherry tomatoes with a little salt & pepper and a sprinkle of oregano to add a little colour and sweetness to the plate (and it stays with the Greek theme).

I thought it was delicious. I thought the basil still stood tall but the mint provided an interesting little zing. Paul said he would accept the addition of parsley but that the mint out-competed the basil. What a fuddy-duddy.

Still, it was a nice little last taste of summer before we get completely stuck into the stews and casseroles of winter.

16 comments:

kat said...

It certainly looks lovely but like Paul I worry about the addition of the mint...

HH said...

Oh sounds good FC, I think the mint sounds great, and with the feta would be lovely with some nice pink lamb.

Sam said...

sounds interesting and really tasty.

Esi said...

I like this different take on pesto!

Darius T. Williams said...

Looks good - and those are some really great pics!

-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

Laurie said...

I think this sounds fantastic! And what a good idea to hang on to summer tastes for just a bit more...

Joie de vivre said...

Your pictures are beautiful on this one! I agree with you. I'm trying to soak up the last of the fresh veggies before the casserole season is upon us.

Teresa Cordero Cordell said...

Foodycat, the Greek Garden Pesto sound delicious. I like your variation. You are such a good cook.

Snooky doodle said...

this looks good. I also tried making pesto with walnuts and then there s the sun dried tomatoes pesto which is good too :)

Alicia Foodycat said...

Kat - maybe make a small batch to taste? I've got quite a large pot of leftover in the freezer!

HH - good idea! That'll be where the leftovers go.

Sam - it really was! If you like mint...

Thanks Darius. I do love my camera.

Laurie, joie de vivre - it's really cold today, I will be making stew!

Thanks Teresa, but this is all Peter's work! It would never have occurred to me without his recipe.

Snooky doodle (great name!) I think walnut pesto sounds really good.

NKP said...

Hurray for the last vestiges of summer herbs. We have been on the same wavelength! I love pasta with herbs too.

Peter M said...

You finally made it and it looks like it turned out wonderfully!

It's a nice departure from the usual basil pesto and it's a delight to have in the summer.

Some parsley could take the mint edge off, if you wish.

Thanks again for trying the dish and the link!

Alicia Foodycat said...

Natashya - it's just a pity none of these were from my garden!

Peter - we had a fair bit of parsley in it as well. I think he just didn't like the mint... But thank you so much for this recipe! I thought it was lovely.

grace said...

your pesto is gorgeous! i think i'd love the addition of mint--nobody can call me a fuddy-duddy! :)

Gabi Bucataru said...

What a brilliant idea with feta! I dig feta and you'll find it in my recipes left and right. But boy what a twist to the traditional pesto recipe! Need to be tried! thanks!

Gabi @ Mamaliga.com

Alicia Foodycat said...

It's Peter's pesto! I just followed his genius.

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