artichoke + spinach pesto

this is the time of year in which i start to get antsy.

antsy for just picked greens from the garden, local asparagus and all things spring.

i day dream everyday about riding my pretend bike with the cute basket on the back to the farmers market and wandering through the garden barefoot searching for the first string of peas to appear.

i crave green, fresh and bright. this was the best i could come up with this weekend while hunkered down in the house listening to the rain beat off the windows and 40mph winds...so much for the quick taste of summer we enjoyed last week - father winter wasn't so quick to leave us just yet.

freshly steamed artichokes are combined with spinach, lemon juice, pine nuts, fresh garlic and a bit of pink salt along with a healthy dose of extra virgin olive oil.

i recently was told by a friend of mine, a lover of artichokes and a round about foodie in general, that the frost kissed artichokes tend be sweeter and all around better. i think he may be onto something - these artichokes were pretty tasty. if you aren't familiar with how to prep an artichoke, check out this great tutorial from bon appetite

the steamed artichoke hearts are blended into a wonderful and very versatile pesto along with baby spinach. certainly if you would rather use jarred artichoke hearts feel free.



the bright flavors of this pesto is exactly what i needed - raw flax seed crackers topped with the pesto and a few slices of cherry or grape tomatoes make for a perfect afternoon bite.

pesto freezes well - if you don't plan on using the full batch within a week or two freeze make sure to some for later.



this week i have been adding pesto to most anything - my favorite so far has been a quinoa bowl mixed with this pesto, deeply browned button mushrooms, wilted baby spinach , whole grape tomatoes topped with a sprinkling of pine nuts

this week it will also find its way into pasta and on top of pizza



what are your favorite ways to enjoy pesto?

 Artichoke Spinach Pestomakes 1 1/2 cups you will need:2 artichoke hearts (fresh or jarred)2 cups baby spinachjuice of 1 fresh lemon1/2 cup pine nuts1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil2 cloves fresh garlic1/2 tsp pink salt (or kosher)  assembly:prep and steam your artichokes - remove the heartsin a food processor blend artichoke hearts (fresh or jarred), baby spinach, juice of 1 lemon, salt, peeled fresh garlic cloves & pine nuts - pulse until well combined begin adding a stream of olive oil through the top of the processor, continue to process while the olive oil is being added. continue adding enough olive oil until desired consistency is reached - it should be on the creamy side, but not too oily store in an airtight container for up to two weeks in the fridge or freeze in smaller portions for  later use enjoy! Print this Recipe