(Vegan) Sorrel Mint Pesto

The garden space that I occupied last year is now being worked by a friend of mine. This is her first foray into urban food production, and she is open to whatever advice I have. When she and I stood at edge of the plot in the spring, surveying the space and planning where she would plant her seeds, I spotted a few sprigs of last year's mint, pushing through the damp soil.

"If you leave this corner untouched, this mint will grow well, all on its own." I told her.

Any advice to do less work is music to the ears of a woman who is gardening with a toddler in tow. Little did she know that she would end up with a thicket of mint, that now fills 20 square feet and continues to advance.

"I am not watering it ever again!" She told me this week. I doubt the mint will simply give up its crusade, on account of a little drought. The good thing is, I know she won't mind if I help myself to as much mint as I can figure out what to do with.

Knowing I had a lamb chop waiting for me at home, I picked a large bundle of mint, while out to water the garden today. I still have about 3 feet of sorrel left over from an early spring planting, so I snipped a handful of their tart leaves as well.

I remembered a recipe from years back, that I had made with my step-grandmother. It was a mint pesto, which we made with pine nuts and Meyer lemons from her backyard tree (if we were all so fortunate!). I replaced the lemon juice with the sorrel, with excellent results. I was also thrilled to find another use for the sorrel! I left out the pine nuts, since I didn't have any, but feel free to add 1/4 cup if you have them on hand.

This pesto was wonderful with the lamb, and I could easily imagine it on grilled chicken. Today, I used the leftover pesto as a salad dressing for mixed greens, garbanzo beans, tomato and avocado. This recipe is a winner. Maybe this is what I will serve next time I host my gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free friend for lunch!

Sorrel-Mint Pesto

1 cup of sorrel leaves
2 cups of mint leaves
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch of salt and black pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and process until a smooth paste, about 30 seconds. Unlike traditional basil pesto, the color of this pesto stays a beautiful bright green.