Oregano Pesto Crostini
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If your herb garden is going strong this summer, chances are you have a lot of fresh oregano on your hands…and one can only make so much tomato sauce, right? Jennifer Johnson from Johnson Estate Winery addressed her own oversupply with a delicious recipe for oregano pesto crostini made with nuts (she chooses cashews or almonds), olive oil, tomato, and Parmesan cheese.
She recommends an even blend of good quality extra virgin and neutral baking olive oil when making the pesto. Also, using different nuts gives the pesto a slightly different flavor. Walnuts make a pesto great for pork, while almonds and cashews give a lighter taste that pairs well with toast.
“I've been addicted to oregano pesto ever since my sister taught me how to make it about twenty years ago,” Jennifer says. “The pesto is rich with the flavor profile of a fresh baked pizza pie, and it’s delicious on toast and superb as a marinade for pork tenderloin.”
Jennifer prefers the pesto toasted on baguettes with cherry tomatoes. Topping some polenta with dollops of oregano pesto and goat cheese is also a delicious option for a side dish. “Or, as a dear friend said, you can have it with a spoon straight out of the jar.”
For wine, the best pairing is Johnson Estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon. Lighter reds work well if the pesto is mixed with goat cheese, as well.
Ingredients
1 cup olive oil (half extra virgin, half neutral baking olive oil)
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped (or more to taste)
2 cups fresh oregano leaves, washed and spun dry in a lettuce spinner
1/4 cup fresh parsley, washed and spun dry in a lettuce spinner(optional)
1/2 cup nuts of choice (walnuts, almonds, cashews, or pine nuts), toasted and ground
1/2 cup ground Italian parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
dash of lemon juice
Instructions
1. Grind or grate cheese and set aside. Toast and grind nuts and set aside. Wash and spin dry oregano leaves (not the stems unless they are very tender), and parsley if desired.
2. Have your food processor ready for this next step. Heat oil in large pot and add garlic cloves. After about one minute, add the oregano leaves and quickly stir until they have been “blanched” for about 30 seconds – you really don’t want it cooked, which will make them and the pesto brown.
3. Pour all of the contents of the pot into the food processor, add a bit of lemon juice and pulse until puréed.
4. Roughly measure the green pesto as you transfer it from the food processor to a bowl. Add the same quantity of nuts and the same quantity of cheese. Exact amounts of nuts and cheese are a personal preference – as is the quantity of olive oil. If you want the pesto to be thinner, add more. Will keep for about one week in refrigerator or months in the freezer.
For more recipes by Johnson Estate Winery , visit their site.
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