Pesto and Dressings

By Marie-Christine Perry

Having been gifted a huge bag of cilantro recently by a gardening friend, I started to think about what I could do with it. My partner is one of these rare people who cannot abide the taste, or the smell, of fresh cilantro and ginger, apparently because of an interesting gene she possesses, so I usually bypass cilantro at the farmers market and never plant it in my herb garden or introduce it into any dish we share.

It was very hard to refuse the gift, though, because I love coriander, fresh leaves and seeds alike. So I decided to freeze the cilantro in a form I could use just on my portions of food and not hers—something like a pesto or chimichurri. Since at the time I also had in my kitchen a bag of garlic scapes from the farmers market, and plenty of mint, basil and parsley in my garden, that is what I did.
I chose to use some cashews for texture and put in my blender a large handful of the nuts, a good amount of cleaned cilantro leaves (stems cut off just under the first leaves), virgin olive oil, the juice of half a lime, a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and two teaspoons of sea salt, and let it grind for two or three minutes. After tasting the mixture, I added a handful of parsley and mint leaves and some chopped garlic scapes (five or six curly stems). After another two or three minutes of grinding, and adding more oil as needed, I packed the pesto into small containers.

I then repeated the process, alternating mint and basil. In the last two batches, having run out of the cashews, I used pecans. Texture is a personal preference, creamier or rougher, and you can decide as you grind.
This is a very basic recipe, and you can substitute fresh herbs and nuts to taste. You can use ramps in early spring, garlic mustard, just basil if you have lots, add arugula . . . Many other nuts would work as well too—I often use almonds or walnuts—and peanuts would give it an Asian twist. Skipping the nuts would make for a lighter sauce, with a fresher taste, akin to chimichurri.
This kind of sauce freezes well and is very versatile. I toss it with pasta and serve it with steamed rice. But it is also great on grilled meats, fish and vegetables, and a couple of spoonfuls in a French-style vinaigrette potato salad elevate it to gourmet status. I can also imagine a spoonful of it in a bowl of homemade minestrone in the fall. My afternoon’s work netted me 12 containers, now waiting in my freezer. 
Having grown up in a family where it was an honor to be given the task of making the dressing for the ubiquitous green salad, I don’t understand the need for bottled dressings. It is so easy to whip together a vinaigrette and personalize it throughout the seasons, particularly if you keep an herb garden. Vinaigrette and mayonnaise are the first two sauces one learns to make growing up in most French families. They bear no resemblance to their bottled versions!

For a good vinaigrette, use great virgin olive oil, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, lemon juice or wine vinegar to taste (the French perfect ratio is 2/3 oil to 1/3 lemon juice or vinegar) and seasonal chopped herbs (e.g., basil, tarragon, dill, fennel fronds). Bottle and shake before using, and toss the salad well before serving. 

For mayonnaise, put a medium egg yolk and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard in a glass or ceramic bowl and start very slowly pouring in a dribble of virgin olive oil while mixing with a wooden spoon. Continue pouring in the oil slowly as the mixture firms up and becomes lighter in color. When it is thick enough to not slide off the spoon and is not taking in more oil, add the juice of half a lemon, or a tablespoon or so of wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and seasonal chopped herbs. French tarragon is a favorite, and then we call it a béarnaise. If you add saffron, you have rouille, which is served on grilled pain de campagne as an accompaniment to bouillabaisse. Feel free to experiment with what you love, and what is available. 

When the BBQ is on, you can dazzle your guests’ palates with one or more of these homemade sauces.

 Bon appétit!