Make It From Scratch: Mizuna Pesto

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Mizuna is a Japanese mustard green with serrated leaves that resemble dandelion greens. Its flavor is tangy and slightly bitter. Mizuna is nutrient dense with lots of vitamins A, C and K, folate and iron. The leaves are often used in salad mixes like mesclun and spring mix.

Its bitterness yet slight unfamiliarity to most people make it a thematic addition to the Passover Seder meal. Although halachically it cannot be substituted for romaine lettuce on the Seder plate, it can be served at the Seder meal in raw form.

Mizuna can also be made into a (dairy) pesto to serve with breakfast. This mizuna pesto recipe is very tasty and so simple to whip up:

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups mizuna leaves, washed and dried, and include leaves and stem

• 2/3 cup nuts (roasted 5 min in the oven)

• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

• 3 Tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice

• 1 Tbsp lemon zest

• 2/3 cup olive oil

• 3 or 4 garlic cloves

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Throw the mizuna into a food processor.

2. On a baking rack lined with parchment paper, roast the nuts for 5 minutes in the oven.

3. Add the roasted nuts, then the rest of the ingredients.

4. Run the food processor on high for 30 seconds or until the ingredients are completely processed.

That’s all there is to it! This pesto goes well on matzo – or even on its own as a side dish.

Chag kasher v'sameach.