gardening Archives - Her Mise En Place

Sorrel and basil are combined with the popular ingredients of pesto to create a creamy and delicious sauce. Instead of pine nuts, the earthy taste of walnuts are used. This pesto is great for tossing into pasta or spread on bread for a sandwich.

Why Sorrel and Basil?

As we transition to fall, I feel lucky to make one of my favorite sauces. I could probably eat pesto every day, and my garden is giving me so many fresh ingredients to make pesto before it retires for the winter. The use of sorrel in this recipe pairs well with traditional basil because of it’s lemony flavor that gives it a special brightness.

As a home gardener, sorrel was my favorite addition to our yard this year. It’s a pretty hardy perennial that required very little maintenance. I planted mine in a large bucket because I was pregnant and running low on energy at the time. I plan to transplant it to a more permanent spot in one of my garden beds soon. If you’re a gardener too, here’s a helpful article I found about sorrel.

Here, I tossed together fettuccini noodles, peas and this pesto for a meal. I topped the dish with seasoned breadcrumbs to make it a “pangrattato”.

Mise En Place

Sorrel – rinsed, dried and lightly torn
Basil – rinsed and dried
Olive Oil
Parmesan Cheese – grated
Garlic – lightly chopped
Walnuts
Lemon Juice
Sea Salt

How to make Sorrel and Basil Pesto

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add all of the ingredients.
Blend until smooth.
If desired, add additional oil and blend until mixture is thinned and the consistency you like.

Tips for making this pesto

This recipe makes 3/4 cup of pesto.
If you prefer your pesto to be thinner, turn blender back on and slowly dribble in more oil until it reaches the desired consistency.
Can’t find walnuts? Try using pine nuts or pecans instead.

All in All

I love having a go-to pesto to make right in my own kitchen. The “icing on the cake” is being able to use fresh foods right from my own yard. Pesto can be versatile if you are brave enough to stray away from the traditional ingredients and this recipe was perfect for my taste. I think I need to incorporate this pesto into my Chicken, Spinach and Pesto Lasagna very soon!

Sorrel and Basil Pesto

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Course Sauces and Dips

Cuisine Italian

Equipment

Food Processor
Measuring Cups and Spoons

Ingredients

2 cups fresh sorrel
1/3 cup walnuts
1 cup basil leaves
1 large garlic clove
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil extra virgin

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
Blend for 2-3 minutes on a slow speed until the herbs and nuts are finely minced and mixture is smooth.
Use immediately or store in the refrigerator.

Notes

This recipe makes 3/4 cup of pesto.

If you prefer your pesto to be thinner, turn blender back on and slowly dribble in more oil until it reaches the desired consistency.

Can’t find walnuts? Try using pine nuts or pecans instead.

Keyword dip, pesto, sauce

This past weekend, I introduced my toddler to the joys of gardening. Having a home garden runs in the family. It’s a tradition I hope he continues one day.

Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.
Jeremiah 29:5

There’s no doubt gardening has many health benefits. Besides providing us with fresh food, gardening reduces stress, connects us with nature, and provides us with exercise. According to Martha Stewart Living, most gardening activities fall under the category of “moderate physical activity”. After gardening with my toddler, I felt like I ran a 5k!

Toddler running across deck with basil plant. There is an empty gardening container in the foreground.

From past to present

Gardening runs in my family. I learned from my grandparents who grew vegetables every year in their urban backyard. My grandfather who grew up in the countryside of Virginia, was very familiar with gardening techniques and had a love for fresh foods. My grandmother grew up in the heart of Louisville, but grew up in an era where growing home vegetables and fruits was common and necessary for some.

It’s funny how my marriage mirrors my grandparent’s experience. Christian grew up in more rural county like my grandfather, while I grew up in urban Louisville. We both love fresh vegetables and fruits and welcome gardening into our lifestyle. When we were dating in college, we happened to live across the street from one another. Even then I kept a container in the backyard that had a cherry tomato plant surrounded by several romaines and a few herbs. Some nights we’d have fresh salads with dinner.

My mother also had a small garden as I was growing up. From her I learned how to grow tomatoes, summer squash and several herbs. We once tried to grow a watermelon that my childhood dog tossed around like a ball when the fruit was still small. We laughed about that for years after!

Herbs I chose to plant with my son. Many of these my mother planted yearly and taught me to cook with. This is my first year planting the pineapple sage.

Gardening with a toddler

Teaching our son Freddie about gardening means a lot to me. He’s only 14 months old but I think it’s important to start him off very early. Even as a toddler he is taking in so much about his surroundings and learning about the world. So, this past weekend we planted an herb container together.

We first made a quick trip to buy some flowers and potting soil at Home Depot and a local nursery stand. He really got a kick out of pointing at flowers while saying “see”. He also loved interacting with other shoppers. While shopping, I bought him his own little toy gardening tools, just to give him something safe to use. He likes to emulate my actions and can get fussy when he doesn’t have something in hand. I figured the $5 spent would be worth it.

Child making funny face in shopping cart with flowers in the background at gardening store or nursery. — Shopping for flowers at a local nursery.

It was so great for him to be outdoors! Gardening together stimulated so many senses that are still new to him. I encouraged him to touch the dirt, smell each of the herbs, play in sunlight, and pronounce simple words.

Freddie is quite curious, and energetic- he had so much fun! I also enjoyed watching him run across the deck, play in the dirt, and at one point he was trying to shake a plant out of its container. It reminded me of sweet moments from his infant months when I would hold him up to the blossoms on the apple tree and let him connect with nature. It was just one year ago, but gosh TIME FLIES BY and children grow so fast!

Toddler pointing at flower on potting soil bag.

Toddler running across deck with flower tag. Mother in the background organizing gardening materials.

Toddler playing with gardening container wheels.

Future lessons to learn

Gardening as a kid taught me the importance of nurturing, respect for nature and gave me a sense of where food comes from. I hope Freddie learns this too:

Gardening keeps us connected with nature and God.
Growing your own food can save money.
Sharing your vegetables and fruits with others benefits the community.
Growing plants teaches you patience, and responsibility.
Gardening is a good escape when you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, angry or sad.
Gardening with others can be fun and safe social activity- some churches and neighborhoods offer community gardening.

Overall, gardening with my son was a great weekend activity! We were able to connect with each other, learn together, and enjoy the sunshine. I thank God for this simple and wonderful experience.

Sorrel and Basil Pesto: Easy use of garden herbs