HEMP PESTO
MAKES 1¼ CUPS (5 TABLESPOONS = 5 MG THC)
PESTO IS a fantastic way to add an herb enhancement to nearly anything—from pasta to soup to roasted vegetables or even a sandwich. When I make it, I often use fresh basil from my garden and a combination of pine nuts and hemp seeds to give the pesto depth of flavor plus loads of amino acids, making this a protein-rich condiment. It’s easy to make a double batch too and freeze half to use another time. Or add CannaOil to half the recipe and leave the rest un-enhanced for options. Hemp seeds don’t contain THC so if you leave out the CannaOil, you have a very healthy and delicious pesto that won’t send you on your way.
2 tablespoons hulled hemp seeds, plus extra for sprinkling
¼ cup pine nuts
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 cups fresh basil leaves
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons CannaOil (optional)
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Combine the hemp seeds, pine nuts, garlic, and salt in a small food processor (or food processor insert) and pulverize until well combined.
- Add the basil and pulse to chop. Then, with the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil and CannaOil (if using) and process until the mixture is well pureed. Add the Parmigiano and pulse to combine.
SERVING SUGGESTION: PESTO PASTA STUFFED VEGETABLES
With boosted pesto in your fridge it’s easy to knock out a fun and colorful party dish at the drop of a hat. Toss the hemp pesto with cooked pasta (about a 1-pound box; small shapes like orzo, large pearl couscous, or ditalini work best) and use the pesto pasta to stuff vegetables. For the vegetables, grill or roast red bell peppers (halved and seeded), zucchini (halved and seeded to create a tunnel), or eggplant (halved and some of the inside scooped away to create a medium-size cup in the center of the eggplant). After they’re cooked, stuff with the pesto pasta. You can stuff raw vegetables too: a halved and seeded tomato or even a seeded cucumber half. Piling the pesto pasta on top of a pitted avocado half is excellent too. Either way you’ll have a completely legit dish that brings lots of color and flavor to the table.
