enframed wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 5:33 pm

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 4:56 pm

Geiginni wrote:

Ms. Geiginni doesn't care for pine nuts (Crazy! Right?!!), so I tend to use pistachios these days. A good substitute for sure. Neither of us cares for walnuts - so we both avoid those except in some walnut-based recipes.

MrsEaster, the pesto fiend around these parts, swears by walnuts. Results are pretty damn fine. The key being to always mix in some pasta water. Have even experienced big success using stuff like parsley or carrot tops instead of straight basil.

Pine nuts are cool but good ones cost quite a bit nowadays. Subpar pine nuts are the worst. They can be by turns bitter, metallic, or just fatty and neutral.

During the early lockdown we were getting most food from the local farmer's market. The celery tops were so insanely huge that I made pesto from those once, no basil at all. It was, as one can imagine, more bitter than basil, but it was really good! Used walnuts for that, too. Lots of parm and pecorino helped mitigate the bitterness.

seby wrote:

enframed wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 5:33 pm

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 4:56 pm

MrsEaster, the pesto fiend around these parts, swears by walnuts. Results are pretty damn fine. The key being to always mix in some pasta water. Have even experienced big success using stuff like parsley or carrot tops instead of straight basil.

Pine nuts are cool but good ones cost quite a bit nowadays. Subpar pine nuts are the worst. They can be by turns bitter, metallic, or just fatty and neutral.

During the early lockdown we were getting most food from the local farmer's market. The celery tops were so insanely huge that I made pesto from those once, no basil at all. It was, as one can imagine, more bitter than basil, but it was really good! Used walnuts for that, too. Lots of parm and pecorino helped mitigate the bitterness.

Try toasted almonds! Add cherry tomatoes to the mortar and you are good to go

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Fri Aug 26, 2022 10:50 am

seby wrote:

enframed wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 5:33 pm

During the early lockdown we were getting most food from the local farmer's market. The celery tops were so insanely huge that I made pesto from those once, no basil at all. It was, as one can imagine, more bitter than basil, but it was really good! Used walnuts for that, too. Lots of parm and pecorino helped mitigate the bitterness.

Try toasted almonds! Add cherry tomatoes to the mortar and you are good to go

Trapanese pesto. Never made it at home. Have only had it in... Trapani. But it's fucking delicious. Right on.