Fashionwise (yes, there is something I love almost as much as food and going to the Farmers Market), this past (insert sad face that I am already referring to summer as past) summer season, and trickling over into the Fall, I am obsessed with stripes. Oh and blue and green nail polish (never would have predicted that, she of the classic ‘ballet slippers’ and ‘vamp’ – sorry gentlemen, but the ladies know of what I speak). But, back to the kitchen, I will deem the Summer and Fall of 2012 the season of the food processor, more specifically: season of the pestos.

Yeah yeah, I know I have posted more than once, or twice, about pestos, but dang after a hot, not-turning-the-oven-on season and then an abundance of herbs and greens that loved said season, my food processor has been getting a workout (to the tune of opps, I seemed to have melted the arm of the grating blade attachment . donations being accepted). Last year’s cooler and wetter than normal summer resulted in a paltry, if any of my heat loving plantings ability to provide any type of ‘crop. Fast forward to this season and DANG, the basil, shiso and arugula have taken over. And will save the ‘sage that never died off’ for it’s own post.

Now being that I have droned on before about the arugula, shiso and basil pestos (trust me, making them like crazy this year), and was looking for something else to whirl into a pesto frenzy, I went to the market and then honed in on…kale. Yes, you read correctly and before you make that scrunch-face stay with me (heck I think I have convinced you to delve into kale before: note chips and raw salad), you are so going to be hooked on kale pesto.

I must be honest, and cannot take credit for this genius use of kale…no, no, no, that I bestow upon a fellow-member of a facebook food group (me a member of a food related group? Shocking. I know.). Cruising the info highway and lo and behold a bagillion recipes for kale-based pestos (where have I been?). I do love me some kale, but I was getting tried of all my standbys: juicing, chips, salad, sauteed, so the idea of a pesto incarnation came just in time.

A natural as a pasta sauce, but digging this pesto as a topping for pizza, crostini, slathered onto chicken breasts (or under the skin of whole roasting bird) and schmeared onto fresh bread. Oh heck, it’s tasty right from the spoon. No, it will not replace peanut butter.

Kale Pesto

2 cups firmly-packed, fresh kale (stems/spines removed)
1/2 cup pine nuts (or almonds, or walnuts)*, toasted
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup (give or take) extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
pinch of salt
squeeze of lemon

Put all ingredients, sans the olive oil, into the bowl of a food processor (or blender) and whirr away. Once nice and broken down and combined, with food processor running, begin to stream in the olive oil until desired consistency is reached – hey some folks like their pesto stand-a-spoon-in-it thick and some like theirs on the soupy side. Your call.
*or use a combination of nuts. last batch I used all three. heck, why not.