Cilantro Pesto Adds Zip to Food

Of all the seasonings I’ve used, cilantro has proven the most divisive. Its fans and detractors are equally emphatic: fans can’t get enough, wondering why there’s no cilantro-flavored toothpaste. Detractors won’t touch it, wondering what foul humor provoked Mother Nature to sprout the stuff in the first place.

I am a fan, and this tangy, dense cilantro pesto has become a staple of mine.

CILANTRO PESTO

1/2 cup fresh whole cilantro leaves, densely packed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup grated Kasseri cheese

2 tablespoons corn oil

1 jalapeno chile, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped, optional

Salt

Combine cilantro, garlic, cheese, oil and chile in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and well combined. Season to taste with salt.

Transfer to small bowl or jar and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Makes about 1/4 cup.

Note: Kasseri cheese is available at supermarkets with substantial cheese sections, as well as at local cheese specialty shops.

Uses:

Scramble into eggs, using 1 teaspoon pesto for each egg.

Toss with fresh cooked, buttered pasta, 1/4 cup pesto for 6 ounces dry pasta.

Spread 1 teaspoon pesto on toasted English muffin half, add 1 teaspoon green taco sauce, top with 2 reconstituted sun-dried tomatoes and thin slice mozzarella cheese. Broil until bubbly, about 30 seconds.