Food - It's Part of a Well Balanced Wardrobe!

Photo courtesy of wmannphotography

I know you are probably thinking - wait, what? Food as part of your wardrobe? It's odd, but I always think of personal style as a well-rounded execution on all things that you enjoy doing in your life. For me, one piece of the pie (literally and figuratively) just happens to be cooking/baking. I love being in the kitchen and when I have a dinner party to go to, there is nothing better than arriving with a perfect dish that represents your taste and style! To kick off this beautiful 4th of July holiday weekend, a friend of mine threw a roof deck party at her place in South Boston. The sunset over the city, the drinks, the food, and the company were all equally wonderful. For this soiree I made a modified version of the Giada De Laurentiis recipe called Pea Pesto. It is so easy breezy to make and gets rave reviews time and time again! The best part is that it's fairly healthy and requires ingredients that you usually have in your house! The above photo is of my friend Andrea and me on the roof and she has one of my creations in her mouth....very delicious and also an attractive shot of the two of us (oh and PS...yes those are Foster Grants I am wearing!).

Pea Pesto by Giada De Laurentiis, modified by Kiki
Ingredients:
For the pesto -

One 10 oz bag of frozen peas defrosted

One garlic clove

1/2 cup Parmesan/Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

One teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

for the crostini:

One day old baguette (whole grain or regular)* if you don't have day old than put your fresh one in the oven on 300 for 10 min or so until crust is crispy

olive oil for brushing

carton of cherry tomatoes, diced

pinenuts toasted (eyeball the amount, I like a lot so I am generous)

One lemon

Pesto Directions:
Pulse together the peas, garlic, cheese, salt, and pepper in the food processor. With the machine running, slowly add in the olive oil until it is well combined which takes a couple minutes. Set aside.


Crostini Directions:
Preheat your grill (you can also use a stovetop griddle pan) on medium-high heat.
Slice your baguette into 1/2 inch pieces.
Brush both sides with olive oil.
Grill until golden on both sides which takes 1-2 minutes. I like mine with little dark grill marks, but it's all personal preference!


Spread pea puree on top of each piece (to your discretion, probably about 1 tablespoon if I had to guess).
Add tomatoes and pinenuts, again to your liking.
When ready to serve, squeeze fresh lemon liberally over each one.
Yields approx 30-40 pieces.

ENJOY your 4th of July!!
XOXO,
Kiki