Volunteering at EcoFarms PLUS Stinging Nettle Pesto Recipe
What kind of person would jump at the chance to spend the day digging in mud at a farm? Food bloggers of course - and especially when the farm is Eco Farms. Located just a few miles away from the District in Lanham, MD, this family owned organic farm serves up ingredients to some of the top restaurants in town.
We weeded, we hoed (we made jokes about hoes), and we planted - Thai basil, peppers and beets! They'll be coming to a farmers market near you, Washingtonians... I hope you appreciate the laughs and labor that went into them.
Elyssa of State Dinner and I were in charge of beet planting. As I wondered aloud if the beets knew how much I hated them, everyone started yelling recipes that would change my mind. So... there we have it. My next farmers market challenge must be beets. I owe it to the lil suckers.
In the mean time, I'll share the recipe for Eco Farms Stinging Nettle Pesto which we heartedly inhaled after our work was complete.
Eco Farms Stinging Nettle Pesto
Ingredients
1/2 bag Eco Farms Stinging Nettle
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
3-6 cloves of garlic (depending on your taste)
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Squeeze of lemon
Red pepper flakes
Best olive oil you have
1. Blanche stinging nettle in boiling water to neutralize the sting. Drain, cool, and squeeze dry.
2. Toast walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Keep them moving until they start to color.
3. Add walnuts and garlic to food processor and pulse. Add stinging nettle and pulse. Add cheese, a squeeze of lemon, pepper flakes as you like 'em, and pulse. Then, with the processor running add a stream of olive oil until the pesto is the consistency you desire. Taste for salt.
More fun pics after the jump!
In the mean time, I'll share the recipe for Eco Farms Stinging Nettle Pesto which we heartedly inhaled after our work was complete.
Ingredients
1/2 bag Eco Farms Stinging Nettle
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
3-6 cloves of garlic (depending on your taste)
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Squeeze of lemon
Red pepper flakes
Best olive oil you have
1. Blanche stinging nettle in boiling water to neutralize the sting. Drain, cool, and squeeze dry.
2. Toast walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Keep them moving until they start to color.
3. Add walnuts and garlic to food processor and pulse. Add stinging nettle and pulse. Add cheese, a squeeze of lemon, pepper flakes as you like 'em, and pulse. Then, with the processor running add a stream of olive oil until the pesto is the consistency you desire. Taste for salt.
More fun pics after the jump!
Olga of Mango & Tomato
Mary of The Arugula Files with Mike from Eco Farms
Elyssa of State Dinner
One of Eco Farms annual visitors showed up. Traveled a long way from the Chesapeake Bay to lay eggs on the farm.