From James Beard's kitchen · James Beard Cooking School / household kitchen, New York

blend · pesto

NATIONAL AWARD WINNER

Prairie Pesto

From a national-award-winning chef

Ratio

OLIVE OIL 30

Ingredients

PISTACHIOS60 g
BEET GREENS40 g
OLIVE OIL30 ml
GARLIC5 g
SALTto taste

Method

This one needs a blender — jar fill-lines aren’t the whole story yet.
Combine measured ingredients and blend until smooth.
Taste and adjust salt and acid.

Provenance

Portland-born American cook and teacher whose New York cooking school and cookbooks shaped mid-century American cuisine; namesake of the James Beard Foundation awards.

Originally published as Beet Greens Pesto.

Adapted from a recipe published by James Beard in James Beard Foundation recipe archive.

FAQ

Can this go in a shake jar?+

This one is blend or stove fit. Use it from the recipe page; jar columns are shake-ready sauces only.

What do the quantities mean?+

Amounts below are from the published source, converted to ml/g where liquids allow. On a jar, every column scales to the same fill height.

Where did this recipe come from?+

Adapted from James Beard Foundation recipe archive (published as “Beet Greens Pesto”). Full citation lives in Provenance.