Pesto for Fall

Thanks to David Conklin for the photo above!

Fall has arrived. She has wrapped us in a blanket of reds and rusty yellows; fallen leaves, Madrona berries, morning light streaking heavily across the sky. Suddenly, all across the farm, the fields are open swaths of soil. Crops have been tilled in, left to break down and return to the soil again. Gone are the days of surprise cauliflower harvest – 800 pounds in a day! Gone are the summer squash, hot afternoons with scraped and itchy arms (despite our love of zucchini, no one has expressed grief for the end of this plant’s season). Most of the winter squash has been harvested and all of the potatoes are out of the ground. We have said goodbye to the sungold tomatoes, broccoli, and soon, the crew flower patch. Summer has said farewell for now.

Here comes the new. Small streaks of green are emerging from earth. Cover crop will grow all winter, depositing nutrients back into the soil. We have another greenhouse in the works, 30’x150′ and tall enough for a tractor to drive through, extending our flexibility for growing temperature-sensitive crops and allowing for the precious and delightful cold season foods. Soon comes the garlic. We’ve got tulips in the ground too – treats for another year. Here’s to another summer passed and the coming solace of winter’s quiet calm.

Pesto is one of my favorite foods. I love it all year round, on pasta or roasted veggies. I’m sure many of you love the classic basil pesto, but really you can make pesto with anything! Pesto comes from the Italian word prestare, meaning to pound or crush. Defining pesto in this broad way, you can really get creative. There is something special about a delicious, versatile sauce as our seasonal choices dwindle. And with a blender or food processor, they are so easy to make! I have two fall favorites: green mustard pesto and beet pesto.

Green mustard is a delightful and underrated cool-season green. Its mild spice is a perfect pairing with the slight sweetness of our winter squash.

Green Mustard Pesto
Blend 4-6 cloves garlic with oil, add your nut or seed of choice (my favorite for this is walnuts). Then blend in 1 bunch of green mustard. Add in nutritional yeast  (or parmesan if you prefer), and salt to taste. That’s it!

This beet pesto recipe I learned from a friend, and I make variations of it ALL THE TIME. If you’re lucky enough to still have a basil plant tucked away on a window sill, that’s a delicious addition. If not, you can make it simple, or add in an herb of your choice. I mostly eat this on toast, but sometimes serve it with fish or roasted veggies like kohlrabi or potatoes.

Beet Pesto
Roast sliced or shredded beets with oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Blend garlic and oil. Add nuts or seeds of your choice, or tahini can be a delicious addition too. If using herbs, add those in at the end and blend until smooth.

~Hannah