carrying pesto

Thanks Ben.

I make spinach pesto often – I leave mine raw as well. More vibrant tasting than when cooked :-) I do the same with kale.

The blanching helps with color and gave the flavor I wanted however you can skip that step if you wish.

A note about fresh basil… I wouldn't blanch basil as it is too delicate for that but… wash basil while it is still on the plant/stems. Why? If you wash it once you pick it and then dehydrate it, the basil will turn an unappetizing color of grayish-brown. For some reason it doesn't do this when you wash it while the leaves are still on the plant and let it air dry. It's very strange.