Hey Pesto!

Can you believe that we are nearly done with January 2012? Where has the first month of the year gone to?

My garden angel watches over my kitchen all year round. It is going to be a busy year in the garden, so I will need all the inspiration I can find.....

 

 

 My attention has once again turned to the magnificent colours of the Hibiscus blooms. Planted in the ground, or in pots on a sunny patio, you will never have a dull garden, as they will brighten your space with their vibrant colours.

Did you know that the Hibiscus is indigenous? There are over 60 species ranging from small ground cover herbs to trees reaching 5 m high.

How beautiful is this specimen? So bold and beautiful....... go and search your local garden centre for the colours that attract your attention. Remember that the hibiscus needs at least 8 hours of full sunlight per day.

Hibiscus flowers appear in many stunning colours......from pink to yellow, orange, red and silvery white. The blooms can be either single or double.

 I GO TO NATURE TO BE SOOTHED AND HEALED, 
AND TO HAVE MY SENSES PUT IN TUNE
ONCE MORE.
John Burroughs

Well, if you are like me, you would have been a busy bee and a typical domestic goddess working everywhere all at once. I sometimes wonder what I have achieved in the day.....it starts with the sprinkler in the garden, the dogs, the dishes, the washing, the sprinkler again ....and then moves on to cooking, crafting and creating....in typical domestic goddess style!

On the many trips I make around the garden each day, I always return inside with a bundle of herbs on my lap. One favourite of mine at the moment is Parsley.

The Moss Curled Parsley , Petroselinum crispum is a humble herb, but can be very understated. So, I decided to raise the bar  and created a Parsley Pesto with my abundant crop of parsley and a handfull of fresh chives.

 

PARSLEY PESTO

Ingredients:
30 g bunch of fresh parsley tops, washed and trimmed
1 small bunch of fresh chives, washed and snipped
60 g flaked almonds. ( Toasted adds more flavour)
60 g grated parmesan cheese
300 ml Olive oil
salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and whiz to a puree.
Do not overmix.
Place in clean glass bottles and store in the fridge.
Superb with Pasta dishes and drizzled over roasted vegetables.
mmmmmmmmm Enjoy!

Just looking at the colour and texture of the ingredients is exciting!

Hey PESTO......there we have it.....fresh from the garden!!

 

Next time I will make a Gremolata with my abundant crop of parsley tops......there I will need lemon zest, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
Now back to the garden to pick more parsley........

Happy gardening!

Valentine's Day is around the corner, so lots of romantic ideas will follow in February.

To love is to place our happiness in the happiness of another.  Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnz