basil & garlic scape pesto

Friends, it's been a glorious summer in Alaska so far!  I've bounced between Juneau and Fairbanks and Anchorage soaking up sunshine, good food, and friendship along the way.  

My first summer living in Juneau has defied my expectations.  For the most part, the weather has been warm and inviting, with the occasional rain shower to keep everything green and lush (and the wild mushroom crop plentiful!) But what has really blown me away is the incredible bounty of wild edibles here in southeast Alaska.  It's AH-MAZING!  With my trusty furry, four-legged sidekick Milo at my side, we've foraged for nettles, devil's club buds, beach asparagus, salmonberries, cloudberries, and most recently the early blueberry crop. I made an fantastic nettle pesto (still have some in the freezer!), pickled the devils club buds and the beach asparagus, and plan to make salmonberry jam as soon as I find the energy.  So far, I've just been munching on the cloudberries, which are tart and creamy.

Clockwise from top left: early southeast Alaska blueberries, beach asparagus, salmonberries, and cloudberries

A bundle of garlic scape

I have a little spare time on this Saturday, which is on of my favorite things in the world.  Last week I made a stop at Rainbow Foods, a terrific local health food store in Juneau, and came across some garlic scapes.  I had no idea I'd be able to find them in Juneau!!  Tastes like garlic, but greener and milder.  I've chopped them up and added them to stir fries before, but recently read that they make a great pesto. I'd also picked up one of those live basil plants last week at the grocery store, so I thought I'd do a combination basil-garlic scape pesto.  It turned out even better than I expected, and so easy to make that I was able to carry on a long-distance phone call with my friend Meagan while throwing it together.  The bright, herbal basil paired with the green garlic scape is a perfect flavor combination.  I had to force myself to stop tasting it repeatedly because its SO GOOD!!

As I type this sentence, I'm swallowing the last yummy mouthful of this pesto on rustic Fire Island Bakery baguette.  Happy Saturday to me!

Basil & Garlic Scape Pesto

(Makes one pint)

2 cups basil leaves
2 tablespoons parsley leaves
1/2 cup chopped garlic scapes
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup pine nuts
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a smal saucepan over medium heat, toast cloves of garlic until brown spots appear on the outside, about 6-8 minutes.  Once cool, the peel comes off easily.

In that same pan, toast pine nuts over low heat for 4-6 minutes, until golden brown.

Place all ingredients, save for the oil and cheese, in a food processor and pulse 15-20 times until combined.  Slowly pour in oil until incorporated.  Add cheese and pulse a couple times.  

ps...gratuitous picture of Milo(sevic), the little war criminal, on a break from blueberry picking to check out the ocean. <3

Enjoy! xo h

wild alaska! stinging nettle pesto

Behold! The delicious, if not tricky, stinging nettle plant.  Tasty little sucker!

It's springtime in Alaska!  Here in Juneau everything has come back to life from the rainy, dreary, soggy wet days of "winter."

(I refuse to acknowledge that we actually had winter when I barely saw traces of snow.  Winter my left toe, Mother Nature.)

I've well-documented my excitement for foraging here on the blog-- PEOPLE, IT'S FREE FOOD-- but Juneau, with its lush rainforests, is a mecca for a forager's soul.  Fiddleheads!  Devil's club buds! Fireweed shoots! Nettles!

Who needs a garden?!

With my trusty sidekick Milo at my side, we set out to gather our bounty.  And by we, I mean Milo explored the wilderness and picked a fight with a whippet while I did all the actual work.  We each have our roles, I suppose. 

Milo: Slacker.

I found an avalanche shoot not too far from where we live and the nettles were in abundance!  Making sure to wear gloves (their sting is not harmful but hurts like a mother), I picked two heaping grocery bags full in no time.

There are so many ways to use nettles.  They just need a quick steam, sauté, or boil to nip the sting.  You can use them in soups, frittatas, or substitute them just about anywhere you use spinach.  They're my favorite spring edible.

With such a huge bounty, I settled on making a pesto.  While there are loads of recipes on the internet for nettle pesto, I settled on this one from Persephone Farm in Washington State.  I loved it!  I will say that I didn't adhere to the recipe entirely.  Perhaps an extra garlic clove and a bit more squeeze of lemon made it into my pesto.  I think it's  best to make the recipe, taste it, and then add to it what you like to please your taste buds.  Maybe you want a little extra parmesan or a dash more of salt?  Go for it!

(And for more information about stinging nettles, check out this page from the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.)

Stinging Nettle Pesto

1/4 pound stinging nettles (weigh them dry!)
1-2 garlic cloves (depending on your taste)
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until they turn lightly brown (being careful not to burn them like my first batch. Oops). Set aside.

Set a large pot of water to boil.  Gently boil the nettles for 1 minute.  Drain, then place immediately in a large bowl of ice water (this will set the pretty green color and stop the cooking).  Drain in a colander.  Use clean paper towels to squeeze out as much water from the nettles as possible.

Place all ingredients in a food processor, and whir up until smooth.  Adjust ingredients to your liking (I like extra garlic and lemon) and season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Spread on toasted baguette, homemade pizza, or toss with pasta.  This pesto freezes well, too!

Enjoy!

xo h

chili colorado

Every once in a while, a recipe comes along that speaks to your soul in a way that few recipes do.  Whether it's the beauty of the dish, or the method of cooking, or the way it sets your heart aflutter with the very first bite. It's simply...perfect.

Friends, I give you: Chili Colorado.

I came across this recipe as I do many of my best recipes...by stealing it from my friend Heather.  (She also introduced me to this gem of a chicken recipe.)  She made this dish for me and my friend Allison and we thought we had died and gone to food heaven.  The tender pork, the thick and luscious chili sauce and it's smooth, complex flavor.   I found myself wiping the plate clean with my fingers, the sauce is THAT GOOD.

This dish is definitely a weekend affair, but only because it takes a bit of time and NOT because it's hard.  Because IT'S EASY!  I'd never made a dish using dried chilies - it sounded so complicated and fussy to me - but it's WAY simple, and totally makes a difference in the flavor.  There's no substitute for using the dried chilies.  I think you can find them in almost any grocery store these days, even here in Juneau.  

Like Heather, I served these with warm corn tortillas and a simple cabbage slaw tossed with cilantro, green onion, radishes, salt, and fresh lime juice.  So add a few ingredients to your shopping list and get going to the grocery store!  Your friends and family will thank you, and may never want to leave.

Just kidding.  They'll leave eventually.  Don't use that as an excuse not to make this dish!

Chili Colorado

(Adapted from Bon Appétit)

5 dried ancho chilies

2 dried guajillo chilies

2 dried New Mexico chilies or pasilla chilies

8 cups of chicken stock, divided

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3/4 inch to 1 inch pieces

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground sage (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage)

1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

(1) Remove stems and seeds from dried chilies.  Cover chilies with 3 cups of boiling chicken stock, and cover with plastic wrap (I did this in a glass bowl, but a saucepan will work, or a glass blender).  Let chilies soften for 30 minutes to an hour.  Blend chilies and liquid until smooth, either in a blender or by using a stick blender.

(2) Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-heat.  Season the pork with salt and pepper.  In several batches (I did 3 batches), brown the meat in the pot with a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil.  Once browned, remove from the pot.  You're not trying to cook it through, just brown the outside for good flavor.

(3) Once the meat is all browned, add back to the pot and add minced garlic, cumin, sage, and oregano.  Stir for one minutes.  

(4) Add 5 cups of chicken stock to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for 1 hour, uncovered.

(5) Add chile puree and simmer, uncovered, for another hour or until the concoction is a beautiful, thick, smooth mahogany color.  Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Serve with warm corn tortillas and enjoy!!

xo H