Tony Tahhan has a genuine passion for food. I was watching one of his videos and decided that this young fellow is going places with his personality and infectious spirit. Even only his love for Mediterranean cuisine would have me revisiting his site every chance I had. We are kindred spirits although miles apart in age.
His first project is called A Taste of the Mediterranean. Each month he will feature a different culinary region from the Mediterranean (France, Greece, Italy, Middle East, North Africa and Spain) along with an appropriate regional recipe for us to add our own twist to win that months grand prize. This month Italy is featured with Pesto on the menu!!! Thinking of Italy brings back fond memories of when I was about Tony's age and travelling to Rome, Venice, Pisa...As an adult I have yet to travel there again by have many dreams!!
Anyone who is a reader of this blog knows of my love for all things Greek, but did you know that I am also a closet Italian? My first reason for dreaming of a trip to Italy is the variety of cooking schools along the Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Sorrento, Naples, Venice, etc, etc.......
Secondly Italy is truly the birth place of volcanology which is my second fascination. Vesuivus erupted in 79 AD, burying the Roman town of Pompeii; Etna is the second most active volcano in our time, now being in a phase of near-constant activity; Vulcano, the tiny beautiful island that the Romans believed was home to the God of Fire; Stromboli, "the Lighthouse of the Thyrrhenian Sea", named because of its very regular eruptions that have been going on as far back as I can remember. Give me a tour through the Eolian Islands on a sailboat and mamma mia!!!!
And the third, and perhaps most important reason to visit Italy,...the FOOD!!!!!
Pesto is a sauce that originated in the city of Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy (pesto alla genovese). The name comes from pesta ("to pound, to crush", from the Latin root pestle). Pesto is usually basil, pine nuts, olive oil and heaping mounds of Parmesan. The fun about preparing pesto is deciding on the proper proportions with which to combine these ingredients and whether to add any extras. Ultimately, with some experimentation, you can make pesto that suits your tastes exactly, just like every excellent cook in Liguria. Traditionally, pesto sauce is made by hand with a mortar and pestle. Fortunately, we have food processors and blenders which make the job much easier. Save your energy for other things...wink...wink... like making fresh pasta to go with the pesto (what were you thinking!!!). It is also very important never to cook pesto because basil when heated becomes bitter. Pesto is also often served on pasta, sliced beef or chicken, tomatoes and sliced boiled potatoes.
Here in the "Great White North" (where we have only just swept out our igloos), basil growing in our gardens is still at least a month away. So we need a substitute that is readily available at this time of the year. How about broccoli!!!!!!! Broccoli on its own is rather bland, but add copious amounts of garlic, good quality Parmesan and olive oil and a zing of lemon zest and you have got to love it!!! Come to think of it local broccoli will not be available for a few months either, but it is always so inexpensive at the market you have to love that too! If I strictly adhered to the 100-Mile Diet of my past post then it is out for now. I have prepared this pesto before but found it a little dry, so, therefore tweaked it a bit to make a completely satisfying and tasty treat. You are left with a vibrant and palate pleasing combination..... even the kids will eat their broccoli!!!
**Broccoli Pesto Pasta**
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley or perhaps cilantro
1 - 2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts(toasted)
1/4 cup shredded fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese ( I know I use more...just eyeball it)
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1 T lemon zest
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Pasta of choice
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Fill a medium saucepan three-quarters of the way full with water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add the broccoli and cook for 3 minutes or just until slightly tender, but still with a bit of snap. Drain and immediately immerse the broccoli in ice cold water to retain the bright green color. Drain again, and transfer the broccoli to the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add parsley, garlic, pine nuts,and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Pulse 6-8 times, until the mixture forms a chunky paste. Do not puree! Pulse again, drizzling in the olive oil slowly. When the mixture reaches the desired consistency, stop and serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Cook pasta and combine. Add more freshly grated Parmigiano!!!
Makes about 2 cups of pesto.
