Nut-Free Pesto

Brayden is eighty-one weeks old. Wendy at the daycare instituted a nut-free policy in mid-April after one of the new toddlers in the program tested positive for tree-nut allergies. The policy applies to lunch boxes, shared snacks, and any food brought into the building. The new policy has pushed me toward developing a nut-free pesto for the lunch-box rotation.

Nut-free pesto substitutes sunflower seeds for the traditional pine nuts (which are technically not a tree nut but are commonly cross-contaminated in nut-processing facilities). The recipe is fresh basil, garlic, parmesan, olive oil, sunflower seeds (toasted), lemon juice, salt. The flavor is bright and herb-forward. The sunflower-seed substitution is slightly less rich than the pine-nut version but the difference is small in a finished application.

The technique question is the sunflower-seed toasting. Raw sunflower seeds taste flat. Toasted sunflower seeds develop a depth of flavor that approaches the toasted-pine-nut profile. The toasting is done in a dry skillet over medium heat for about three minutes with frequent shaking until the seeds are fragrant and golden. The toasted seeds then go into the food processor with the other pesto ingredients.

Sunday I made a small batch of nut-free pesto. It will be Brayden’s daycare-lunch protein-and-flavor backbone for the next two weeks (pesto-pasta-and-cheese, pesto-on-toast, pesto-with-chicken-cubes). The pesto stores in the refrigerator for ten days in a small jar with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation.

Mama and Cody have continued to run the small Sapulpa-cafe at its small steady-state pace. The breakfast rush moves through. The lunch-plate-special rotates daily. The Friday-regional-special slot keeps the small adventurous-element alive. Cody’s pop-up Tuesday continues to sell out within an hour of the Friday-menu-post.

The technique-detail I always lean on: the temperature of the cooking-surface matters more than the temperature in the recipe. A hot pan with cold ingredients fails. A medium pan with room-temperature ingredients succeeds. Let the small ingredients come to the small kitchen-temperature before the small cooking starts.

Nut-Free Pesto

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Prep the basil. Wash and thoroughly dry the basil leaves. Remove any thick stems and discard them — only the leaves go in.
2. Toast the seeds. In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sunflower or pumpkin seeds for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Blend. Add the basil, toasted seeds, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until coarsely chopped.
4. Add the cheese. Add the Parmesan and pulse a few more times to combine.
5. Stream in the oil. With the food processor running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed.
6. Taste and adjust. Taste the pesto and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. For a thinner consistency, add olive oil one teaspoon at a time.
7. Store or serve. Use immediately, or transfer to a jar and press a thin layer of olive oil over the top to prevent browning. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze in ice cube trays for up to 3 months.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 110 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 2g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 135mg