a simple recipe for an easeful spring transition
wild dandelion & mint pesto
When you think of pesto, you probably envision the classic basil dish. However, pesto can be much more imaginative when you invite other nourishing greens and herbs into the mix. Dandelion is a popular bitter to stimulate digestion, making it an excellent addition to the pesto. It’s also a quintessential bitter green—the ideal taste to incorporate into one’s diet in spring per Ayurveda. Made of air and ether elements, the bitter taste directly counteracts the heavy, wet qualities of kapha dosha, which is dominant in spring. Bitters are also a traditional way to stoke digestion, which like the sun is slowly increasing day by day in spring and can be a big sluggish after a season of heavier foods. Because dandelion and other soft, tender, bitter greens are among the first vegetables to grow in spring, this dish also connects us to a more seasonal diet (basil is more of a summer plant). Enriched with other healing (and slightly heating) spices, nuts, and oil, this pesto is delicious on anything that needs a sauce or dip—pasta, lentils, sourdough bread, or cooked vegetables.
from Root & Nourish: An Herbal Cookbook for Women’s Wellness by Jennifer Kurdyla and Abbey Rodriguez, © 2021, Tiller Press
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 to 4
Ingredients:
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tablespoon Plant Parmesan (see below)
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup fresh dandelion greens
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Method:
Combine the pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, nutritional yeast, basil, dandelion greens, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth.
Serve immediately or transfer to a glass jar or airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
NOTE: If you prefer a less bitter pesto, add another tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and more salt. These flavors will naturally counteract the bitterness. If the pesto is too thick for your liking, pour in more olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
Plant Parmesan
Nondairy cheese substitutes are often riddled with chemical additives and fillers, which counteract the benefits of a plant-based diet. This homemade vegan cheese blend is perfect for sprinkling on your favorite savory dishes that call for a dash of umami, the flavor behind the sour-salty tang of Parmesan cheese, and a toothsome bite.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Makes: 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
1 teaspoon reishi powder
½ teaspoon dried onion powder
½ teaspoon dried garlic powder
Method:
Combine the hemp seeds, walnuts, nutritional yeast, coconut, and spice blend in a food processor and blitz until a coarse powder forms, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Root & Nourish An Herbal Cookbook for Women’s Wellness
In Root & Nourish, wellness experts Abbey Rodriguez and Jennifer Kurdyla teach women how to incorporate plant medicine into everyday life through food and self-care. Organized into three areas of health concerns prevalent in women today—digestion, mental health, and female reproductive hormonal health—these affordable, seasonal, and sustainable recipes, drawn from Western herbalism and Ayurveda, are designed to help you curate a personalized herbal apothecary that will serve you for a lifetime.
Once you come to learn which ingredients offer you the nourishment you need, whether in the moment or to support chronic conditions, you will understand your body—and yourself—as you never have before: as nature intended.