Gremolata

Gremolata is essentially pesto made from greens that are not basil. Like pesto, gremolata can be served with pasta, on pizza, alongside meat, as a coating for vegetables, and in slaws and pancakes made primarily of other vegetables. If you’re trying to get more vegetables into your life, gremolata is a wonderful way to start. Because the greens are so finely chopped, they don’t feel bulky and overwhelming. The final taste can be as mild or as zesty as you like. And best of all, if you use gremolata to coat vegetable dishes like zucchini noodles or grilled eggplant, you can be eating vegetables on top of your vegetables.

Ingredients

2 bunches braising (as opposed to salad) greens of any kind

1 bunch herbs (sage is pretty wonderful in this, and so is parsley)

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 anchovy fillets (optional)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Procedure

Blanch the two bunches of greens for 2 minutes, then drop them into cool water. Squeeze out the extra water.

Peel the garlic and mince it in a food processor, then add the ball of squeezed greens and give it a minute’s pulse, too.

Some people add anchovies, capers, Parmesan, and olives, but you can omit anything you don’t have around or that you don’t like. A good quantity of olive oil is always nice. Any combination of greens and herbs will also work great.