Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
Fragile greens are among the top grocery items to wind up in the compost bin. Considering around 90 per cent of the ones we buy are imported – mostly from California – it makes sense to maximize their use whenever possible.
There’s a whole world of sauces – including pesto, salsa verde, chermoula and zhoug – that can be made quickly with herbs and greens that have reached the point of being too wilted for a salad.
This one is an amalgamation of many of them, combining common elements to create a sauce you can toss with pasta or drizzle over chicken, fish, eggs and even roasted veggies.
It’s incredibly flexible – Left with a bunch of cilantro stems? Toss them in – but be mindful of the flavour profile you’re looking for: Most leafy greens pair well with each other, but some herbs, such as mint, have a more distinct, potent flavour and can dominate a sauce.
Beyond greens, the components (as is the case for most fresh green sauces) are aromatics such as garlic, shallots, anchovies and chilies; a mild or nutty oil; acids such as lemon juice and red wine vinegar; and nuts or seeds.
Nuts can be pricey – particularly the creamy pine nuts associated with pesto – but pepitas, which are small green pumpkin seeds, are more affordable and still work beautifully.
You can also toss in a ripe avocado that may need using, or add a pour of cream or coconut milk to lighten the sauce up or thin it out. For a pesto, add Parmesan cheese.
A food processor makes quick work of all this, but it’s also gratifying to use a mortar and pestle.
The sauce freezes well – in some cases better than the greens on their own. Covering the surface with a thin layer of oil will help prevent oxidation.
Green Sauce
Measurements are not important here. You could make a nut-heavy sauce or a greens-heavy sauce, and the quantity of aromatics such as garlic or chilies depends on your preference and the intensity of the ingredients. Taste as you go.
- Big handfuls of fresh leafy greens (such as arugula, microgreens, spinach) and/or herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro, mint), including any tender stems
- Garlic
- 1 handful of nuts or seeds (pepitas, cashews, almonds, pine nuts)
- Salt
- A squeeze of lemon (optional)
- Olive, avocado or other mild or nutty oil
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ripe avocado (optional)
- Heavy cream or coconut milk (optional)
Combine your fresh herbs and greens, including stems (discard any that are tough) along with a clove or two of garlic, a handful of nuts or seeds and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is mulched and well combined, then add a squeeze of lemon if you like, and oil in a slow drizzle through the feed tube until the mixture loosens into more of a sauce.
Add a generous grating of Parmesan cheese, toss in a peeled and chopped avocado if you like, and taste to see whether it needs anything – perhaps a squeeze of lemon juice or some added salt or pepper. If you like, add a pour of cream and whiz until it’s the consistency you want.
Toss directly with hot or cooled pasta, or warm it first in a saucepan as your pasta cooks. (Set aside a cupful of the starchy pasta water to help smooth out the sauce when tossing.) Garnish with more fresh herbs or microgreens, if you have them.
This sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to a week, or up to six months in the freezer.