I actually wondered if it could really be called pesto without the usual ingredients, I know they sell different types of pesto in the shops, but that could’ve just been marketing. So anyway, from Wikipedia, it says that in Italian pesto is the contracted past participle of pestâ which means “to pound, to crush”. What we traditionally know as pesto is actually pesto alla genovese.

Anyway, the swiss chard pesto was actually really nice. It was a little odd to have something looking like pesto that didn’t taste like it though! It was quite a delicate flavour really. The recipe I looked at added cream (and nutmeg), but I chose not to, given my gallbladder troubles! I also made it quite dry and added oil when I served it up for Bloke and Child.

So here’s another non-exact recipe!

Garlic – couple of cloves

4 bunches of swiss chard

handful of pine nuts

some grate parmesan

lemon juice

veg stock

Saute the garlic for a couple of minutes

Add roughly chopped chard, cover, cook until chard starting to wilt

Blitz pine nuts in chopper, add chard and garlic and blitz again

Add some lemon juice

Add veg stock (or oil if using it) to make pesto like consistency.