Pesto and Pea Salad and Watermelon Mocktails

I love summer. LOVE. IT. It's my favorite time of year. I love the smell of hot trees. I love the sound of sprinklers and kids. I love grilled food and fresh veggies. It's perfect! And the Pacific Northwest is in prime-time summertime. Our veggies and herbs are going nuts and we are trying to use them up as fast as we can. Ina Garten makes a wonderful pesto and pea salad, that I made with basil and parsley we are growing. We ate this with a roasted chicken and had watermelon mocktails swirled with mint we are growing. It was a really good dinner, and it was so pretty - just like summer!

Pea and Pesto Salad - from Ina Garten
Serves 2 (With left over pesto)

For the Salad
5 oz of baby spinach
1 cup of peas (I used frozen peas, defrosted in hot water)
1 lemon

For the Pesto
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts - divided
1 1/2 cups basil leafs
1/2 cup of parsley
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Defrost peas in hot water for a few minutes. While peas defrost, arrange spinach on a large platter and toast pine nuts for pesto and to top the salad.

In a food processor, pulse half the pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Add garlic and pulse a few more times. Add in basil and parsley. While the food processor runs, pour in enough olive oil to make a nice paste. I used about a 1/4 cup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Toss spinach with peas and about half the pesto. Top with reserved pine nuts. Serve with sliced lemons.

Watermelon Mocktails
Makes 2 

6 cups chopped seedless watermelon
1/2 a lime, juiced
1 cup soda water
2 sprigs fresh mint

In a blender combine watermelon cubes, and lime juice. Pulse until well blended. Divide the juice between 2 tall glasses and top with soda water. Swirl with mint and drink up!

Enjoy some summertime!!

Made this time last year...
Veggie Hand Pies and Peach and Blackberry Galette

 
















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