This year I planted an abundance of Lemon Balm in my planters and it flourished. Unsure of what Lemon Balm was used for, I did some research and then heard from a friend that a fabulous pesto sauce can be made with these lush leaves that had grown with wild abandon.
After cutting the stems that I needed, I rinsed the leaves well and removed them from the stems.
Now if you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender or even a mortar and pestle for grinding by hand but I am loyal to my clunky, takes up a lot of space, yet I’m forever grateful for it food processor. My Cuisinart food processor has seen me through several kitchen triumphs and tragedies.
Items you will need to make this amazing pesto.
- 1 and 1/2 c lemon balm leaves cleaned well and removed from stems
- 3/4 c walnuts
- 1/2 c olive oil
- 3/4 c grated parmesan cheese or Romano blend
- juice of one lemon
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- Salt and Freshly ground pepper (I used lemon salt for an extra kick)
To begin the Pesto, place all the ingredients in the food processor bowl and grind until it’s a lovely smooth green paste.
Once you’ve achieved that smooth texture, give it a little taste and then adjust any seasonings necessary. I added a touch of olive oil to make it a little smoother. And that’s literally it! Prepare your favorite pasta and toss with pesto to coat.
I paired my pesto with a nice linguine with roasted portobello mushrooms and fresh cherry tomatoes. To prepare, slice approx. 2 cups of portobellos mushrooms, and combine with fresh cherry tomatoes, olive oil and a liberal sprinkling of Monterey Steak Seasoning until well coated. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet and roast for 10 min in a 425 degree oven. Remove, stir well and place back in oven for another 10 minutes until mushrooms have wilted and tomatoes have burst. Place on top of pasta, add a sprinkle of parmesan and enjoy!!!!
