Broccoli Pesto Recipe
INSPIRED BY FRANCE
SA
World War I G. I.s, whose initials stand for government issue or general issue, grew fond of eating broccoli during their service abroad. In 1919, the war officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed in a town near Paris, France. American soldiers then returned home from the war craving the broccoli, and as a result, they created a demand for the vegetable in the United States.
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Broccoli traces its roots to the Mediterranean, where it was created from a cabbage relative. The name broccoli comes from the Italian word that means the flowering crest of a cabbage.
SAVE FOR LATER
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients
2 cups cooked broccoli cuts
1/2 cup fresh tarragon
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 ounces Gouda cheese (or 1/3 cup cubed)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
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Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Blend until the desired consistency forms.
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If using a mortar and pestle, mash the broccoli, tarragon, and garlic until smooth. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Mash until the desired consistency forms.
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Store pesto in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. Use throughout the week in the next two recipes. Pesto can last in an airtight container in the freezer for up to six months.
Uses
Chicken Pot Pie Crêpes
Chicken pot pie was a common ration for soldiers during World War I, a global war ended by a treaty signed in France. Several years prior in France, it’s been said that a woman accidentally dribbled a thin porridge mixture onto a hot cooking surface. Thus, the crêpe was born.
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French Toast BLT
Despite its name, French toast originated in Rome, not France, during the 4th century as a way to use up stale bread. In France, French toast is called pain perdu, or lost bread. The process of soaking the stale bread in a milk-egg mixture and then toasting it in a pan hasn't changed much throughout history.
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