This year almost all the farms in the area had a growing problem with basil, there was a weird bacteria, or something like that that made the basil look horrible and not grow. Basically no one got a basil crop, (every year something fails). That means no one has basil pesto.
Honestly, that is fine with me. I’m not a huge basil fan in anything other than using a few leaves on a pizza.
I do love pesto and make pesto out of just about any green, kale, chard, parsley, and today I used some collards. If you are bummed over the lack of basil for pesto this year, maybe try this recipe.
Here is a very simple recipe. You can substitute any green you have for the collards if you like. You can freeze this or keep it in the refrigerator for a week or so.
Collards and Toasted Pecan Pesto
½ small bunch collard greens, center ribs and stems removed
Kosher salt
½ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
¼ cup toasted pecans
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
Cook collard greens in a medium pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, let cool.
Blend greens, oil, garlic clove, pecans, vinegar, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes in a food processor until a coarse purée forms; season with salt and pepper and enjoy on pasta, or vegetables or bread.