Aged Gouda Pesto

"Here’s a little Earth Day kitchen improv lesson in using what you’ve got on hand!🌱🌎💚 Classically pesto goes something like this - basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan & Pecorino with a pinch of salt. Sometimes you don’t have any or all of those things. BUT, you can get all kinds of creative with other ingredients & come up with endless versions of pesto inspired sauces! This pesto uses a hard, Aged Gouda in place of its Italian cousins. I skipped the nuts altogether but you could use another nut like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews or even sunflower seeds. No basil, no biggie. Spicy arugula is a solid substitute. Spinach or kale work wonders too! Some lemon adds acidic brightness. You can mix in more herbs to make it super fresh. Sun dried tomatoes or jarred, roasted red peppers can take your pesto in a whole different direction. Add a little pepper or red chili flakes to spice up your pestos. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The lesson in all of this, don’t be such a rule follower, allow yourself to be inspired by different ingredients and have some fun in the kitchen. Honestly, you can’t go wrong when you mix cheese with olive oil, garlic, something green & fresh and maybe get a little nutty."