Recipes

Arugula Pesto with Whole Grain Pasta

For this recipe Chef Adam Barski used the BC Organic Blue Dream infused olive oil to make the pesto. It is an exciting recipe to make with this cultivar, since pesto is kept mainly raw, the complimenting flavours of the infusion really shine through.

Blue Dream Olive Oil Infusion

To keep the unique traits of Simply Bare’s BC Organic Blue Dream cultivar intact as much as possible I made the infusion into extra virgin olive oil at a low heat for about 6 hours to pull out the flavours of the cultivar.  The result may not be as potent as if you were to make an infusion with decarboxylated product, but it will preserve the flavours and volatile compounds of this exquisite cultivar to pair with the recipes.  At the end of the day we’re trying to make something elevated that will emphasize the unique qualities of the Simply Bare cannabis flowers.

The sweet and spicy notes of BC Organic Blue Dream cultivar makes a perfect pairing in this pesto.  Arugula has a natural spice to it and the terpene humulene, found in the Blue Dream cultivar, is the same terpene found in Basil – which is what a traditional pesto is made with.  This wholesome recipe is full of flavor and makes for a great comfort food.  It also lends well to add a variety of different vegetables, herbs or even meat if you so choose.

Recipe:
By Adam Barski, The Budder Chef, @thebudderchef. Culinary Director at the High-End Dinner Series, @thehighenddinner

Ingredients

  • ¾ c Walnuts, roasted
  • ¾ c Hazelnuts, roasted
  • ¼ c Pepitas, toasted
  • 1 c Italian Grana Padano, freshly grated
  • 3 Russian Garlic cloves
  • 1 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1-2 Lemons, Squeezed Juice
  • 3 c Arugula
  • Sea Salt & Pepper, to taste

Pesto Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients into a food processor and give it a whiz. Taste and correct the seasoning, I find that I almost always need to add more than 1 lemon of juice.
  2. If you find that your pesto is too thick, whiz in a little bit of water. Set aside.

Pasta Ingredients

  • 1 lb.Whole Grain Serpentini Pasta

  • ½ Leek
  • 2 c Kale, chopped

  • 1 Heirloom Tomato, chopped

  • 2 oz. Halloumi Cheese

Pasta Instructions

  1. Cook in heavily salted water as per package instructions. Rinse under cold water or toss with a touch of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking. Set aside.
  2. Garnishes: Wash well and slice Leeks thinly, caramelize them, and set them aside.
    Clean and chop the kale, set aside. Slice and lightly brown the Halloumi in a pan, set them aside.
  3. Assembly: In a large pan with a touch of olive oil on a medium-high heat saute together the pasta and kale to warm it through.
    Off the heat add the pesto and mix until thoroughly dressed.
    Plate it up and garnish it with Leeks, chopped Tomato and Halloumi.
    Serve with a squeeze of lemon.