Mint And Feta Pesto Recipes

Steps:

• Roll out the pastry on a surface lightly dusted with the Parmesan to about the thickness of a ten-pence piece. Stamp out 12 rounds using a 6cm plain cutter and line a shallow 12-hole bun tin. Chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6.
• Prick each pastry base with a fork and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, tear the leaves from the parsley stalks and put all but 12 of the small sprigs in a food processor with the pine nuts, then whizz until coarsely chopped. Then add the feta, garlic and oil and whizz to make a thick paste. Keep the reserved sprigs in a bowl of water in the fridge. The pastry bases will keep in a tin for up to 2 days and the pesto will keep in the fridge overnight.
• To serve, dollop a spoonful of the feta pesto onto the tarts and top each one with two cherry tomato halves. Garnish with the reserved parsley sprigs. Arrange on a platter and hand round with a bowl of black olives and sparkling mint & lemon juleps.

Steps:

• Cook the peas in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until just tender, then drain and refresh in cold water. Pat dry.
• Tip the peas into a food processor and add the garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, mint and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then pulse very briefly until the ingredients are roughly chopped. Don't overdo it - they should still have lots of texture. (You can freeze the pesto at this point.)
• Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions until al dente - that's with a bit of bite still. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
• To serve, toss the spaghetti with the pesto and about 2 tbsp of the water. Pile into warmed bowls and serve at once, with parmesan and olive oil at the table.

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine mint and almonds; process until finely chopped.
• With motor running, gradually pour oil through the feed tube. Season with salt. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve.