Kale Pesto Dip

Some time ago my dad, Prof, challenged me to find a blog worthy recipe for kale.  He loves kale. He raves about its health benefits and he grows a lot of it. It is one of the staple vegetables in his diet. He also knows that I haven’t been such an avid fan. I often find it is bitter and has a strong aftertaste, so I am sure he was snickering to himself and thinking I would fail!  But, in accepting the challenge I set out to investigate what could be done with this rugged little green leaf. 

The first thing I learned on my kale discovery adventure was that it isn’t readily available in the shops nearby, and when I do find it it is often a bit sad and tired. The second thing that I learned is that kale needs to cook for much longer than spinach – those leaves are pretty tough. The third thing that I learned is that when cooked in the right way, I can actually enjoy this healthy green vegetable.  The recipe below is SO good, which means that I met the challenge and won – but Prof has forced me to change my views, so it’s a win for him too! Thanks Dad!

The recipe here was inspired by one I found on the mamacino blog: http://mamacino.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/hey-presto-kale-pesto-delicious-dip/ (lovely blog  with some delicious recipes – worth a look).

Recipe

Pesto

• bunch of kale, washed, de-stemmed and lightly steamed
• 1/2 c fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• juice of 1/2 small lemon
• 1/2 c roasted cashews
• 1/4 c grapeseed oil
• 1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Place all ingredients except oil in a food processor and blend. Scrape the sides.  Add the oil in a thin stream as you continue to blend until smooth.  You can keep for up to a week in the fridge.  It has the same versatile uses as a traditional basil pesto.  It’s especially tasty in soup!

Dip

• 4 T kale pesto
• 1 c sour cream
• 1 c Greek style yoghurt

Mix all ingredients together.  Serve with chopped raw vegetables, corn chips, or crisp breads.  Shown served with Roasted Tomato and Capsicum Salsa (https://bakingbohemian.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/roasted-tomato-and-capsicum-salsa/)