I'm certainly not trying to pass myself off as either an herbalist or a nutritionist here, but I do know that herbs are immensely nutritious and healthy. Pesto is a great way to prepare herbs, and the traditional sauce is made with basil, but basil is difficult to find in bulk and is also a little pricey. Last year I attempted growing some but the plants barely got off the ground. It's a tricky plant to grow, except for my next-door-neighbor, who won't share with me even though his plants seem to reach an average height of 3 feet! (I'm just a little bitter). Recently I decided that a cilantro would probably replace basil pretty nicely, and is much easier to come by (and much less expensive). Cilantro is my favorite herb anyway, and is usually available in big bunches for $1 each at my local grocery store.



    Cilantro aids in proper digestion, helps to absorb and eliminate over-saturation of metals in the body (such as lead and mercury), among other benefits. Read Schuchi Kalra's article about the healing properties of cilantro for a fuller idea of how you can benefit from cilantro, then try out my recipe for Cilantro Pesto below (or alter it for your own version!)

Cilantro Pesto

Ingredients:
1 Big Bunch of Cilantro (sorry I don't have a better measuring method! but this is how they come in most groceries)
1 cup pine nuts or walnuts
5 oz. parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the kind that comes in a jar)
3 tbsp. chopped garlic
2-3 tbsp. olive oil (or flaxseed oil, or whatever you have on hand)
couple pinches sea salt, (or whichever salt you have handy)
1-2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. lemon juice
1-5 tbsp. water to smooth/thin as necessary

If you'd rather have a lower-fat, lower-calorie version, you can omit the cheese and/or the oil. The lemon juice isn't necessary unless you're storing the pesto, so don't go out of your way to buy some if you don't already have it on hand.

1. Grate the parmesan cheese (I use a food processor to do this) and set aside.
2. Wash cilantro and set aside to drain.
3. Place nuts in food processor, process until smooth. Add all other ingredients except for cheese. Process until smooth but still textured. If your food processor is like mine, you may have to pause a couple times to scrape the sides of the food processor bowl into the bottom where it be mixed properly.
4. Add parmesan cheese.
5. After adding cheese, blend enough to combine all ingredients. You should have a nice thick pesto sauce now! :)

Makes 4 servings.

You could potentially make a pesto sauce from any vegetable. I have a hankering to try broccoli pesto, and I have a friend who recently made a beet pesto using raw beets and walnuts (no cheese).