Potato mixed with Pesto Giapponese 新じゃがの和風ペスト和え

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♫♬ One potato, Two potatoes, Three potatoes, Four, ♫♬

♩♪ Five potatoes, Six potatoes, Seven potatoes and More ! ♬♫

Do you know this song ?

This is the song that I often sing for small kids.

The lyric is very simple and the sound is rhythmical, so it is easy even for Japanese toddlers to sing along together.

I feel like singing this song more often these days.

Guess why ?

Because it is going to be the harvest season of the potatoes soon.

The potato leaves in my backyard look much more vigorous than last few years.

I am anticipating the bigger harvest this year. ( Yes, “bigger” not “big”. My vegetable patch is small, and I could lay only a few potatoes in the soil in early spring. )

I can probably harvest them in fortnight.

The potatoes are sold all the year round in the shops.

But the harvest is usually only once a year, (in some areas twice is possible.)

The new potatoes are fresh !

When the potatoes are fresh, I like to steam and eat them in simple ways.

I am sharing one of such potato recipes with you today.

I named the paste that is to mix with the potatoes “Pesto Giapponese “ , following the recipe of “Pesto Genovese”.

Instead of using Italian basil, I used daikon/white radish leaves this time.

Actually, any kinds of edible greenery leaves from the wild can be used with no extra cost.

In this way you can also enjoy the different flavors.

I made Pesto Giapponese using the leaves of dandelion from my backyard previously and it tasted great too.

I also replaced the pine nuts that the original Pesto Genovese requires with the walnuts that I picked up from the riverbank towards the upstream near my town.

You can use any types of nuts but try to choose the one from where you live if it is possible,

and also check the date of manufacturing and make sure that they are fresh.

Minding them is not only good for your health and well-being,

but also for other creatures and environment.

Steamed Potatoes mixed with Pesto Giapponese

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

3 medium size newly harvested potatoes

3 Tbsp Pesto Giapponese ＊refer to the recipe below

For Pesto Giapponese

50g Daikon leaves or other green leaves of your choice

25g Walnuts or other nuts of your choice

20g Vegan parmesan cheese – sub: increase the amount of nuts

30g Olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1/2~1tsp salt

Method

1. To make Pesto Giapponese, throw in all the ingredients into the food processor. Blend until turning to the paste.

＊You may need to repeat “pulse, stop, pulse stop,,,,”, and scrape down the stuff staying at the side of the processor time to time.

＊Though the food processor may look full with the ingredients,

it decreases its volume substantially when the green leaves are crashed, therefore the small food processor is more suitable for this amount of recipe.

If the processor is medium or bigger size, its blades might go round in circle without collecting the ingredients.

2. Transfer the paste into a jar and pour some olive oil on top so that the surface of the paste will not be oxidized.

＊It can be preserved for a few months if it is kept in the fridge with the lid tightly closed.

3. Steam the newly harvested potato till soft. You do not need to peel the skin at this stage.

4. Peel when the potatoes became not too hot to do so and cut into bite sizes. Sprinkle some salt.

5. Add Pesto Giapponese and mix.

Jagaimo Daikonha Pesto PC (11)_00001.jpg

Jagaimo Daikonha Pesto Salad (4)_00001.jpg

Try “Pesto Giapponese” with other ingredients too.

The cauliflower, tofu, rice, pasta, pizza, bread go well with it.

Happy cooking!