Recipes
The Best Pesto

The Best Pesto

By Parkside Cafe

Parkside Cafe was one of our first stockists when we launched Wonder Valley in 2014. We love to detour on our drive north to the olive groves during harvest each November to the seaside town of Stinson Beach for a meal and a visit. This idyllic shop / cafe / market has it all; a view of Mt. Tam on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. A wood-burning stove in the shop, and the most incredible seafood-heavy menu with the freshest fish and oysters. It would be a big mistake to miss out on the pesto, to dunk the fresh-baked levain bread or buy in the market place for a picnic on the beach.

Ingredients

  • 4 servings
  • Yield 1 cup
  • 1/2 cup Wonder Valley Olive Oil
  • 2 cups basil
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 2 cups arugula
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Recipe

  1. Pulse basil, arugula, and pine nuts in a food processor.
  2. Add garlic, shallots, Parmesan and pulse again several times.
  3. Slowly and steadily pour Wonder Valley Olive Oil while continuing to pulse.
  4. Season with salt pepper and lots of lemon juice.
Olive Oil
Olive Oil
Wonder Valley Olive Oil is a cook's best friend. This beautiful bottle of California extra virgin olive oil has a smooth, verdant flavor and elevates everyday cooking and eating. Well-suited to all kinds of cooking demands, but just as delicious simply mopped up by a crusty loaf of bread. This timeless superfood delivers a delicious dose of polyphenols, the powerful antioxidant associated with longevity of life. Our 2023 harvest oil was hand-picked from the sunny groves in Northern California's Lake County and pressed within hours of harvest by a master miller.
Meet Parkside Cafe

John and Maxine Gilbert have owned and operated Parkside Cafe, Snackbar, Bakery and Marketplace since 2002. Located in Stinson Beach within proximity to some of the best farms, oysters and seafood. Our bread and pastries are baked daily onsite and used throughout the cafe and marketplace. Parkside spent the early Covid months delivering free breakfast lunch and dinners to locals so they would not have to leave their homes during Shelter in place. The opportunity to deliver and visit neighbors kept the Parkside staff employed as frontline workers.

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