artichoke pesto

Making use of what’s in your cupboard before expiration date always feels good.  I am guilty, at times, of having to throw food out.  According to Second Harvest, Canadians waste $31 billion of food every year of which 47% is wasted in the home.  Over 30% of fruits and vegetables are rejected by supermarkets because they aren’t attractive enough for consumers. The primary contributor to consumer food waste is high expectations—demand for high-quality, aesthetically-pleasing food is a key factor behind the volume of food waste among consumers. I reject ugly-looking fruit or veggies when there are visible signs of spoilage.  I don’t know why I expect my food to last longer.  The refrigerator is meant to prolong the life of fruits and vegetables and perhaps psychologically I have time on my side and, regrettably, that isn’t always the case – mea culpa. 

I had an opened large jar of marinated artichokes sitting in the refrigerator.  For weeks I kept pushing the jar around to make room for other food items and yesterday I finally decided to make an effort to use the remaining artichokes.  My mind wondered and then it dawned on me to make artichoke pesto.  I could use it in a number of ways and not limited to one dish.  I’ve used fresh and marinated artichokes for years and my blog has over 15 recipes using this cultivated thistle.  I made this pesto to toss with tacconelli (triangle-shaped flat pasta) or use whatever pasta you have.  Pesto is perfect as a base for pizza, as a dip, mixed with mashed potato, in a pasta salad, thinned out with olive oil to make a dressing, in soup or spread on a crostini. Making pesto is a personal thing. Some prefer a garlicky-cheesy taste while others enjoy the flavor of basil to shine.  This recipe does not use basil so adjust according to your palate.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:   Any leftover pesto, spoon into a jar and cover the top with olive oil.  This will keep for up to one week.  Enjoy!