Jalapeño-Cilantro Pesto

True story: In 1992, I awakened from a dream in which I substituted cilantro for basil in pesto, and added jalapeños. I made a batch, and before the day was over, I received a phone call from an old friend, asking me if I wanted to make $1000 at a catering gig. I'd never catered a day in my life. She convinced me to try it, and gave me a couple of suggestions for easy and portable appetizers that I could prepare with a toaster oven and a cooler in the back room of a posh art gallery in Carmel. (I'll include the others after this recipe.)

You need:
Mortar & pestle OR a food processor (standard size). I use the latter. Sue me.
Sharp chef's knife

If you know how you like to make your pesto (basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil, salt), then:

  • Substitute cilantro for basil. Chop the cilantro well: remove any woody bits, and the rest goes into the food processor.
  • Omit the cheese. Really, Useless.
  • Add jalapeños. The first time, I used sliced jalapeños from a jar, and the spicy brine makes a great addition, as well as thinning out the pesto for easier blending into other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 large bunches chopped (clean, rinsed, drained, etc.) cilantro
  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 2 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 8-12 jalapeño slices (and perhaps a tablespoon or two of minced fresh jalapeños)
  • A slug or two of the jalapeño brine from the jar (1-2 tablespoons)
  • Pinenuts (4 oz.? I prefer them toasted, available at Trader Joe's)
  • salt to taste

Since a bunch of cilantro is an unspecified quantity, I just go for enough to completely fill my food processor. This is usually two large bunches, chopped coarsely.

I chop the jalapeños coarsely—I add minced fresh jalapeños if they're around. Don't let the lack of fresh deter you, especially if you've never made pesto in your life. (I'm looking at you, Patti Digh.)

Put cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, and olive oil into the processor. I pulse it until things are chopped enough and the volume is condensed enough to add the pinenuts. Now process on high until the pesto is of a smooth quality. If it gets thickish, add some brine from the jalapeños and a little more olive oil. Salt to taste.

GOOD USES

  1. Marinate cooked shrimp in a baggie overnight, and put on crackers with smoked gouda.
  2. Use in veggie stir fries: it makes excellent burritos.
  3. Scramble eggs or tofu with nutritional yeast and tamari.
  4. Orzo with japaleño pesto, smoked chicken, pine nuts, zucchini, and chopped tomatoes.

The appetizers I made at my first catering gig included:

  1. "Thai Sticks." Chicken marinated in coconut milk, lemongrass, garlic, and tamari: skewered and cooked in the toaster oven.
  2. Vegetable samosas (curried potatoes, carrots, and peas) in won ton wrappers. Pre-fried and reheated in the toaster oven.
  3. Dried Blenheim apricots with chevre and basil chevrons. (These are fantastic.)
  4. The jalapeño pesto with shrimp and smoked gouda on crackers.
  5. Cooked new potatoes, sliced into rounds (serving as crackers), with a gorgonzola/cream cheese/walnut paté, piped onto the rounds and garnished with black pepper and minced parsley.

Let me know how you use your Jalapeño Pesto!

Questions for the Cook || Our Bookmarks
Table of Contents