Crudités And Serrano Cilantro Pesto
I enjoy hosting people over at my house, but as you know hosting requires serving, cleaning up, pouring drinks, changing the music selection and so forth. Sometimes you get so wound up in attending to people that you actually don’t have time to sit down and enjoy your company.
I’ve decided instead of going the elaborate route of entertaining, from now on I’m going to scale back with a more relaxed approach. I want to sit down this summer and engage in the conversation. This means creating a snacking station that sits right in the middle of the dialogue and no one has to get up or miss a word. You can dip from your seat with crudités and serrano cilantro pesto. No one will think you’re not hosting because the autopilot host is serving the party with this simple solution. I’m laughing to myself in such a naughty way because I finally figured it out.
The pesto is extremely easy to make, and the veggies take almost zero prep. The option of cutting the crudités is there, but that is entirely up to you. Relax at the gathering and during the prep too.
Ingredients for Crudités and Serrano Cilantro Pesto:
- 4 – ounces fresh cilantro (about 2 packed cups)
- 1 – serrano chile (stem and seeds removed)
- 3 – garlic cloves (peeled)
- 1 – cups olive oil (plus 2 tablespoons)
- 1 – small avocado
- 1/2 – cup pistachios
- 2/3 – cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 1/2 – lemon (juiced)
- 1 – teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 – teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
- In a blender add cilantro, serrano chile, garlic cloves, 1 cup olive oil, and avocado. Blend until smooth. Take a spatula and scrape down the sides. Add pistachios, parmesan, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper blend some more until smooth. Taste and adjust salt/pepper to your liking.
- Scoop mixture into a bowl.
- Serve with a generous pile of whole or sliced vegetables of your choice. I serve with radishes, carrots, zucchini, heirloom tomatoes.
- Enjoy!
