Grilled Collard Greens with Lemon-Basil Hazelnut Pesto

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup packed lemon-basil leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

1⁄4 cup canola oil (omit if grilling)

1⁄4 cup hazelnuts

2 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons Parmesan (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper

1 bunch collard greens

Instructions:

1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pick the basil leaves and discard the stems. Blanch

basil in boiling water for 20 seconds and then pour through a strainer and refresh under

cold running water. Ring out the excess water from the basil. Place the oils, nuts, and

garlic in a container of a blender, cover and purée until it becomes a smooth paste. Add

the blanched basil blending again until smooth, adding more olive oil if needed. Be

careful not to overprocess, or the basil will lose its bright green color. Stir in optional

Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2) Clean the collard greens by grasping the stem between the index and middle finger

where the leaves end and pull the leafy part through your fingers, tearing the leaf from

the stem. In this recipe use only the leaves. Wash collard greens by placing the leaves in

a large bowl filled with cold water and swishing them around to loosen the dirt. Let the

collards sit undisturbed for five minutes to allow the dirt and grit to settle to the bottom of

the bowl. Gently remove the leaves from the top of the water and drain in a colander. If

the greens are particularly dirty, repeat cleaning process twice. Place canola oil and

garlic in a large skillet over medium heat when the garlic starts to sizzle add the collard

leaves and season immediately with the salt and pepper. With tongs, turn collards to

cook evenly; continue cooking until wilted, about two minutes. (Alternate cooking: grill

leaves over open flame until colored on all sides. For this method, omit canola oil.

3) Lay cooked collard greens out on a platter and top with lemon-basil hazelnut pesto.

Serve.