I came up with this silverbeet (Swiss chard) pesto when I had some silverbeet that needed using at the same time that I wanted a green dip to go with my borlotti beans and corn chips. I followed the basic premise of a pesto – herb, oil, nuts and cheese. The famous basil pesto is basil, olive oil, lemon, pine nuts and parmesan. I figured that the best pairing for silverbeet was a stronger flavoured nut such as walnut. I’m not great with measurements for this, because I simply taste and adjust as I go – so sorry if the below are wrong, just use your own judgement.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch of silverbeet (Swiss chard)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of half a lemon
- Large handful of walnuts
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Cut of the silverbeet stems (you can use these for stock separately), roughly cut the leaves and steam for a few minutes until soft
- Place the silverbeet in a food processor along with the walnuts, a little olive oil, lemon and cheese and blend
- Taste, add salt and pepper and more olive oil and blend to the consistency of a thick dip
Mrs Sam's dinners, preserves, and of course baking 