The garden is in full swing and the cilantro is ready to harvest. One of the things I have been learning how to do is preserve fruits and vegetables to reduce waste. Throwing away food makes me a little crazy. When cilantro stems start to get thick and the top of the plants start to look a little different, that mean it is getting ready to bolt. You want to cut it back before flowers appear.
I have found that pesto is a great way to reap the benefits of fresh herbs all year long. Pesto is versatile, easy to make, and can be used in recipes, on toast, and on sandwiches. This recipe is great with a little gluten free pasta. Just add some pesto to the pasta after you cook it and voila, a gourmet meal in minutes. What you can do with pesto is pretty much limited only to your imagination.
Even if it is store bought cilantro, I always seem to wind up with more than I need for a particular recipe. This is a great way to use all of it and not throw any away. You do not need much cilantro to make pesto. Just adjust the recipe to the amount of cilantro you have.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
cup
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- 1/2 cup almonds you can use whole, sliced or slivered
- 2 cups cilantro washed, strained and stems removed
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
Ingredients
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- Place almonds in a food processor and pulse until the almonds look like breadcrumbs
- Add the cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, salt, cumin, and crushed red pepper. Pulse until it is well blended.
- Slowly add the olive oil with the processor on low until the pesto is a creamy paste
- You can store in small glass jars or fill ice cube trays with pesto and when frozen, store in a plastic bag or container. Make sure to mark and date the container for storing.
This Cilantro Pesto is gluten free and vegetarian.
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