There is a chill outside, and I’m still six-plus months away from fresh basil from my garden. But I'm not waiting until then to make one of my favorite dishes made with pesto. Solution? My Winter version of pesto. A robustly flavored style pesto made with arugula + spinach mix. The peppery flavor makes a nice and welcoming flavor and a bold way to serve an ingredient commonly available year-round.

Winter Pesto

Makes one cup

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 cup packed arugula, washed and dried

1 cup fresh spinach, washed and dried

4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled

2 Tablespoons pine nuts, chopped

1 ice cube

3 Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

6 Tablespoon olive oil, See Instructions Below

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Place garlic and pine nuts in a food processor or blender. Pulse gently. Add ice cube, arugula, and spinach, and slightly pulse. Do not over-grind for too long, or you will be cooking the tender leaves. Add the olive oil and cheese and process until it makes a paste. Refrigerate until ready to use. Keeps for about a week in the refrigerator.

Use for more than pasta. Pesto is an excellent addition to salad dressing, poultry, seafood, and vegetables.

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A most potent + flavorful herb.

Basil's history dates back over 5K years, beginning in India before moving west into the Mediterranean. The French call basil l'herbe royale or royal herb. And from the Greek word for "king, associating it with wealth and royalty. Later becoming a symbol of love in Italy, and it has retained that symbolic meaning ever since. In Moldavia, the population is mainly of Roman descent. A man who accepts basil from a woman will fall in love with her. Or perhaps her pesto?

My basil is growing so fast with all this warm weather we've been having. What better way to enjoy the first batch of fresh basil than whipping up my first summer pesto? Pesto is one of those recipes that are ready in minutes; it just requires a bit of patience, first rinsing the basil free of soil and then carefully removing the basil leaves from the stems. Once your mise en place is set up, you can enjoy pesto in minutes.

Perfect Pesto Recipe

Makes one cup

chefgeorgehirsch.com | Recipe from Living it UP! Cookbook

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, washed and dried

1 head Caramelized Garlic or 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons pine nuts or slivered almonds, chopped

1 ice cube (keeps basil from cooking from friction in the food processor)

3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano

3 Tablespoons olive oil

Place garlic and pine nuts in a food processor or blender. Puree gently. Add ice cube, basil, and slightly grind. Do not over-grind too long, or you will actually be cooking the tender leaves. Add the olive oil and cheese and process until it makes a paste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Use for more than pasta. Pesto is a great addition to salad dressing, topping bruschetta, poultry, seafood, and vegetables.

Serving Accompaniments: Tossed Salad with No Yolk Dressing, Grilled Garlic Shrimp, freshly shaved Grilled Corn. And top off with Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies.

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