{"id":58472,"date":"2015-07-19T04:00:01","date_gmt":"2015-07-19T03:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ellerepublic.de\/pesto-mit-zitronenmelisse\/"},"modified":"2020-05-25T17:02:07","modified_gmt":"2020-05-25T15:02:07","slug":"lemon-balm-pesto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ellerepublic.de\/en\/lemon-balm-pesto\/","title":{"rendered":"Lemon Balm Pesto"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new favorite: Lemon Balm Pesto! I am always dreaming up ways to incorporate more fresh summer herbs into my diet. Pesto is just the way to do it! This time with fresh lemon balm & basil, cashews, tangy lemon, and parmesan (vegan alert: this also tastes great without the cheese!).<\/p>\n

Lemon balm is such a lovely herb. So beautifully fragrant and subtle to the palate, it\u2019s the perfect companion for basil in a fresh summer pesto. Lemon balm is closely related to mint, although it smells a lot like lemon, don\u2019t expect a lemon burst here. It’s not a major player in the kitchen, but definitely has it’s place. It\u2019s most commonly known as a medicinal plant (and as a fabulous attractant for bees in the garden).<\/p>\n

\"Lemon<\/a><\/p>\n

Some of the more familiar uses are (I use “familiar” lightly — I hadn’t the foggiest) to help reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and discomfort from indigestion. A tea made from lemon balm leaves is also said to soothe menstrual cramps<\/a> and helps relieve PMS. Just put some fresh leaves in a cup along with some boiling water. It\u2019ll have you relaxed and at ease in no time. It\u2019s also great served as iced tea with honey. And if you are looking for more ways to make use of those fragrant leaves, just toss a few in your next salad.<\/p>\n

\"Pasta<\/a><\/p>\n

How to use Lemon Balm Pesto<\/h2>\n

Super versatile, pesto is also totally delicious tossed together with steamed vegetables, spread on grilled fish or chicken, mixed with blanched greens beans or sugar snap peas, as a spread in your favorite panini, on baked potatoes instead of butter, or as a flavor enhancing garnish for soups, stews and risottos<\/a>\u2026 pretty much anywhere you can think of. The possibilities are quite endless, as are the variations of pesto.<\/p>\n

For a no nonsense dinner, pesto is of course great on pasta \u2013 simply stir everything together until coated (I add a little reserved cooking water from the pasta to moisten it), maybe stir in a few handfuls of baby arugula, then season with salt and pepper, plus maybe a little ground chili or a generous squeeze of lemon. Yum!<\/p>\n

For a VEGAN version, just skip the cheese. Also tastes great!<\/p>\n

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\n \n Elle<\/span>\n <\/div>\n

Lemon Balm Pesto<\/h2>
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