Cook the Book | Kale Pesto from 'The Weekday Vegetarians' + Kale Pesto & Roasted Tomato Crostini

Fall brings about many things, including a slew of new cookbooks that have already begun hitting shelves. I’ll be sharing some of my new favorites in the upcoming weeks. So let’s start things off with The Weekday Vegetarians: 100 Recipes and a Real-Life Plan for Eating Less Meat: A Cookbook (Clarkson Potter) by Jenny Rosenstrach, the founder of the website and newsletter Dinner: A Love Story. While I’m a vegetarian every night of the week, this book is a wonderful resource for those who are looking to incorporate more plants into their diet and/or reducing their environmental foot print by eating less meat and not missing it in the process. The recipes aren’t complicated and are teaming with delicious ideas like vegetable-forward bowls like her recipe for Barley Bowls With Chickpeas, Roasted Vegetable and Avocado Dressing and Glazed Maitake Mushrooms with Sweet Corn Polenta. Her chapter for Skillet Mains offers cozy meals for Spicy Chickpeas With Tomatoes & Greens and Crunchy-Cheesy Bean Bake. I particularly was drawn to her Magic Blender Sauces & Dressings, which are essentially flavor enhances including Spicy Peanut Sauce and No-Blender Vegan Caesar Dressing and this recipe for Kale Pesto.

Photography & Styling by Alison Engstrom

Kale Pesto

Makes About 2 Cups

4 cups organic green curly kale, de-ribbed and torn into large pieces

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for crostini*

1/4 cup nuts (chopped walnuts, blanched almonds, pinenuts)

1 small organic lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 cup olive oil

Sourdough slices, toasted or grilled

Roasted tomatoes or other vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, green beans)

Directions: Prepare an ice bath by placing about 14 to 18 ice cubes in a large bowl. Fill up with water and set aside. Next, bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and add kale. Allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns bright green. Add to ice bath and allow to cool. In the basin of a food processor, add kale—it’s okay if you have some liquid as this will help create a creamy effect— garlic, cheese, nuts, lemon juice and honey. Pulse until combined. Stream in olive oil and continue to pulse until desired consistency. Next add kosher salt to taste. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week in an air-tight container.

Serving Ideas:

Since receiving this book, I have made this recipe twice because it is so versatile and great to have on hand to lend an extra green punch to rice, potatoes or roasted vegetables. It’s delicious when stirred into risotto, pasta or cooked white beans.

*Make it vegan by skipping the cheese and honey—swap in a pinch of sugar or maple syrup.

*Recipe adapted from The Weekday Vegetarians: 100 Recipes and a Real-Life Plan for Eating Less Meat: A Cookbook by Jenny Rosenstrach