Tag: italy

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In Season, in July

July is here! I love July because it truly symbolizes summer for me. Although, this July I do have to work for a couple of weeks, generally, for teachers, July is the only month of year where there is actually no school. The other reason I love July is because all the wonderful fruit and vegetable options available in July.

Figs are top of my list of exciting fruits this month! And everyone loves when tomato season is here! I’m looking forward to caprese salads this summer – it brings me back to Italy! Yum! What are you looking forward to this July?

Hugs & Health <3,

Katie

 

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Dill Pesto Recipe

During our travels this summer, we had an amazing dinner in Florence, Italy. The food was so good that we ate lunch AND dinner at Trattoria Il Francescano during the course of one weekend. The salad that I ordered came with pesto sauce on it. This may seem simple, but for me it was revolutionary. I’ve used pesto in soups, on pizza, and on salmon, but never on salad. Since then I’ve been pretty obsessed with making my own basil pesto. Last week at the farmers market, Tomatero had huge bunches of fresh dill. I only needed a little for my salmon dinner that night, so rather than let the herb go to waste, I decided to make Dill Pesto. Result = AMAZING. I have these cool little herb freezer storage containers that allow me to save the extra. Highly recommended!

 

Dill Pesto

cleaneatingwithkatie
In late spring/ early summer the bunches of dill at the farmers market are enormous and I always end up with more than I can use. Pesto is great for using up herbs (and greens) that are on their way out. Pesto freezes well too!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Dressing, sauce
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 people

Equipment

  • Cuisinart Food Processor

Ingredients
  

  • 2 small bunches of dill
  • ⅓ cup pine nuts other nuts work well too
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic sea salt
  • 1 tsp lemon pepper Simply Organic is the best

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the dill and pat dry. Trim the woodier part of the ends off.
  • Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until combined. If the mixture is too thin, add more nuts. If it is too thick, add more lemon or olive oil based on a taste test. (A blender could be used instead.)
  • Serve on salads, veggies, or on salmon. Enjoy!
Keyword dairy free, pesto, salad dressing, sauce

Olive Oil is a great source of omega-9 fatty acids, copper, iron, and vitamin E. Olive oil has been shown to help manage and prevent cardiovascular disease, asthma, arthritis, cancer, and blood sugar disregulation. It also helps to lower inflammation.

Dill is a member of the Umbelliferae family which includes, carrots, celery, parsley, and fennel. Dill has been shown to reduce flatulence and digestive ailments. It also has antimicrobial and anticancer effects. It helps the liver in detoxification. Dill is also a known sleep aid. In addition to its phytonutrients, it is rich in vitamins A and C and manganese and potassium.

Pine Nuts are a good source of protein – more than any other nut or seed! They are a good source of vitamins B1, B2, B3, and E and manganese, copper, magnesium, molybdenum, zinc, and potassium.