Every other week we get a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box from a local farm in Austin. It is full of fresh, organic veggies and fruits and is always different, depending on what is in season. One of my favorite things about getting a CSA box is discovering new things and figuring out how to use them. Recently, I received an herb that I had never even heard of: papalo.
Papalo has a taste very similar to cilantro, with a little bit of a peppery bite like arugula and slight floral notes. I had no idea what to do with it! I did some research and there aren’t a ton of recipes out there. It is most commonly used in salsas in Mexico and South America, but I wanted to go a different route and decided to make a pesto.
Cilantro makes a great pesto, so I figured why not papalo? And I was really happy with the results! If you don’t have papalo (and most people probably don’t) you can use cilantro instead. I served this on fish, but it would also be great on chicken, pork, veggies, or pasta.
Ingredients
- 2 cups loosely packed papalo leaves
- 1 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- pinch of black pepper
Directions
Combine the papalo, garlic, almonds, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the food processor running, pour oil in a steady stream through the tube and blend until smooth.
Allie
10/21/15 at 4:11 pmThis recipe sounds delicious! Such a clever way to put it to use.
Jen
8/9/16 at 1:18 pmMade this and subbed jalapeño oil for the olive oil. Thanks for the recipe!
Jen
8/9/16 at 3:24 pmI’m so glad you liked it. The jalapeño oil sounds great!