Recipe Pesto Lentriso

[flyinglentris]

Named for the @flyinglentris , this Lime Pesto is a fine sauce for Pastas, Pizza, Sandwiches, Salads and any number of other applications.

Ingredients:

Pine Nuts were preferred to Macadamia Nuts, but were not available.
Romano, Parmesan or Feta Cheese may be substituted for Asiago.

About 2 cups of Pesto can be made from roughly the following ...

1/8 cup Lime Juice/Flesh
5 to 6 Manzanilla Olives (pitted)
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/8 cup Artichoke Hearts
8 to 12 Garlic Cloves (pealed)
1/8 cup equal parts Cashews and Macadamia Nuts
1/4 cup Asiago Cheese
2 tablespoons of Cream Cheese
2 tablespoons Blue Agave Syrup
1/4 Cup Sweet Basil
1/16 cup Oregano

Feel free to modify proportions to suite your own tastes.

Procedure:

1) Crush up Macadamia Nuts and Cashews with Mortar and Pestle
2) Finely Dice Garlic, Olives and Artichoke Hearts
3) Crumble Asiago Cheese
4) In a suitable container, mix the Cream Cheese with Olive Oil
5) Mix in Blue Agave Syrup
6) Mix in squeezed Lime Juice/Flesh
7) Mix in Sweet Basil and Oregano
8) Mix in Garlic, Olives, Artichoke Hearts, Macadamia and Cashew crumbs
9) Refrigerate for about 2 days before first use to allow flavors to settle in.

Imagination is a good thing.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Old-fashioned pesto techniques...I'll have to try this sometime. I always buzz the ingredients in a food processor, and gradually stream olive oil until it reaches the consistency I want. Pesto with artichoke hearts is a real winner.

I know you said feel free to modify proportions, but I do have to ask about the proportion of garlic to everything else (which you list as an ingredient but don't have in the Procedure). It looks like you have about 4 times as much raw garlic as artichoke hearts. I'll use maybe 2 cloves for a huge bunch of basil in a typical pesto. is that mostly garlic and not artichoke in the picture?

 

[flyinglentris]

Old-fashioned pesto techniques...I'll have to try this sometime. I always buzz the ingredients in a food processor, and gradually stream olive oil until it reaches the consistency I want. Pesto with artichoke hearts is a real winner.

Sometimes, it's better to not use the FP and chop with a knife before crushing with a spoon or fork. Different size bits and pieces adds texture and flavor variance. Getting the right consistency in something like this can be daunting. That's one reason I made 2 cups worth, so I could go back and modify.

Artichoke Hearts are definitely a winner in a Pesto. Care should be taken not to drown out their flavor. Dicing them up is a pain too and required some fork shredding.

I know you said feel free to modify proportions, but I do have to ask about the proportion of garlic to everything else (which you list as an ingredient but don't have in the Procedure). It looks like you have about 4 times as much raw garlic as artichoke hearts. I'll use maybe 2 cloves for a huge bunch of basil in a typical pesto. is that mostly garlic and not artichoke in the picture?

Oops. I went back, edited and tossed in the garlic on the original post.

4x? The amounts equalized. 1/8 Cup Artichoke Hearts was about 1/8 Cup of 8 Garlic cloves, diced up. I thought people would shake their heads about the Blue Agave syrup.

I like Garlic. It keeps the Vampires away.

BTW: In the photo, the white bits and pieces are Garlic and Macadamia Nuts, sometimes ... Cashews and maybe Olive bits.

 

[Morning Glory]

I love the artichoke hearts too! And plenty of garlic, as is said.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

4x? The amounts equalized. 1/8 Cup Artichoke Hearts was about 1/8 Cup of 8 Garlic cloves, diced up.

I was visualizing how whole cloves would fill up a 1/8 cup measure, if one existed. 12 whole medium-sized garlic cloves could maybe be crammed into a 1/3 cup measure. But, if I say that 1/8 cup = 1 ounce by weight, then I can see how this could be done. I'm glad you don't seem to mind when your engineer brain is challenged by mine.

 

[flyinglentris]

I was visualizing how whole cloves would fill up a 1/8 cup measure, if one existed. 12 whole medium-sized garlic cloves could maybe be crammed into a 1/3 cup measure. But, if I say that 1/8 cup = 1 ounce by weight, then I can see how this could be done. I'm glad you don't seem to mind when your engineer brain is challenged by mine.

1/4 cup filled only half way is 1/8 cup. I should have said 1/8 crushed cashews too. If you chop up 8 Garlic cloves, what fraction of a cup would they fit in? 1/4?

To tell you the truth, up to this point, had been eye-balling my measurements. But this morning, I actually bought something I did not yet have -- a pyrex measuring up. I give you a photo later. I'm so thrilled to have it at last! It maxes out at 2 cups or 16 oz. or 1/2 quart or 500ml. And it's mine.

 

[flyinglentris]

I was visualizing how whole cloves would fill up a 1/8 cup measure, if one existed.

Visualizing and eye-balling ... must be synonymous

With this measuring up, I still have to eye-ball it as it starts at 1/2 cup on the side. I gotta fill up 1/4 the way to 1/2 cup to get 1/8.