Every spring we plant a row of beautifully hot and unique mustard greens, and every year we remember that they are not one of the most common vegetables for people in our region. At market we answer questions about what they are and how to use them, and try to convince you to give them a shot. Every year we fail to do them justice by describing our usual uses "put them on a sandwich" (Have you figured out yet that we put everything on sandwiches?) "They are great in a brothy noodle soup, or a stir-fry. If they are too hot for you, cooking tames them down; try them in scrambled eggs." (Have you figured out yet that we put everything in our scrambled eggs? And yes, sometimes we put scrambled eggs in our sandwiches.)
We were determined this spring to give you something a little different, so today at lunch we tried out a new experiment and deemed it worthy of sharing: mustard greens pesto. Simple to whip up, this turned a large bundle of mustard greens into a spicy vibrant green sauce that can be used any number of ways. Of course, we first put it on our sandwiches. But we also tossed a few cups of cooked garbanzo beans with a few spoonfuls of the peanut-butter version, and polished those off as a little snack. Try spreading it on grilled fish or meats, using it as a dip or of course you could always drizzle it on scrambled eggs.
Directions:
about 2 cups finely chopped hot mustard greens
about 1/3 cup of sesame oil, olive oil, or a blend
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or lemon juice
1 dried hot chili or 1 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1 clove garlic or a small handfull of chopped chives or onion
2 tablespoons peanut butter (optional) or 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
salt and pepper to taste
-Blend chopped leaves, rice vinegar, and chili flakes in food processor or blender (include nuts in this step, if using). Slowly add oil till mixture becomes smooth and creamy. (If adding peanut butter, blend it in after the oil). We used our immersion blender, which may not be ideal, but it worked.
-Taste and adjust as needed. More nuts or peanut butter will lessen the heat and make a thicker paste, more chili flakes and mustard greens will up the heat
