Blueberry and Nettle Pesto

A classical Italian pesto made from olive oil, basil, Parmesan, and pine nuts complements many dishes of grilled fish, meat, fowl, or vegetables.

Here I’ve made two Nordic variations on this nutritious sauce, using ingredients you may
be able to pick for free out in the woods. Use gloves when picking nettle shoots to avoid
being stung. If you can’t find nettles, you can substitute baby spinach.

Both sauces are freezer friendly if you happen to make larger quantities; this way you can
defrost a container at any time and enjoy a taste of summer throughout the year.

Blueberry Pesto
• 4½ oz. (200 ml) blueberries
• 1½ oz. (100 ml) Parmesan (or Swedish Västerbotten) cheese, finely grated
• 1⅓ oz. (100 ml) hazelnut flour
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 bunch lemon balm
• 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
• about ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3⅓ oz. (100 ml) cold-pressed olive oil

Place all ingredients except the oil in a food processor. Process the ingredients to a paste.
Pour in the oil in an even stream while running the processor at full speed so that
everything is thoroughly mixed.

Taste to see if you need to add additional vinegar or salt. Transfer the pesto to small jars
and keep them in the refrigerator (the pesto will keep for a few weeks). Let the sauce come
to room temperature for a bit before serving it to allow the full flavor of the sauce to
develop.

Nettle Pesto
• 2 cups (500 ml) young nettle leaves or shoots (or baby spinach)
• ⅞ cup (200 ml) Italian parsley
• a scant ½ cup (100 ml) basil leaves
• 7 tablespoons (100 ml) pumpkin seeds
• 3⅓ oz. (100 ml), aged Präst cheese (or Havarti)
• about ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) black pepper
• about ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3⅓ oz. (100 ml) cold-pressed olive oil

Parboil the nettles in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes. Drain off the water, but save it
and use it to make stock for a soup later. If using baby spinach, you don’t need to parboil
it.

Place the nettles (or baby spinach) together with herbs, pumpkin seeds, cheese, and spices
in the bowl of a food processor. Mix the ingredients until all the herbs have been chopped
finely, and then add the oil in a thin stream through the feeder tube. Taste to adjust for
salt. Keep the pesto in the refrigerator, but let it come back to room temperature before
serving to let the olive oil become liquid again.

Nettle pesto keeps for a few weeks in the refrigerator, but make sure that it’s completely
covered by olive oil to stop any air from getting to it.

Article Source: Low Carb High Fat Barbecue by Birgitta Hoglund