We designed the Patos kitchen for cooking to be a community experience. We experiment with various foods grown on site with people from all over the planet. Over the years, we have developed some unique delicious and nutritious recipes that we would like to share. This pesto is a favorite.
A volunteer from Utah taught us a method she learned from a woman in Guatemala of how to off-gas the leaves to make them safe to eat without cooking. (Learn from my mistake, eating one fresh leaf mixed into a smoothie will make you sick.)
This plant grows very leggy and huge. Chopping it back, gives it more heads like a hydra. You can put stems back into the soil to grow into new plants. Use gloves to collect the leaves. Take care to not expose your skin to the white sap or you will have a sensation that you’ve been stung or pricked.
Layer the leaves in a blender with water. Chop into small pieces. Pour the leaf and water mixture into a bowl. Cover with a cloth and wait 4 hours. I like to have the bowl resting at noon to have a batch ready to make for dinner.
Strain the leaves and rinse with clean water. You can use the strained water to cook rice or soup.
Put the leaves back into the blender. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, turmeric, salt, pepper, nuts and seeds, garlic, basil lemon juice, and anything else that sounds good.
Blend until fully mixed. Adjust to taste.
Use as a dip or topping.