CSA Recipe Idea: Potatoes, Pesto, Beans and Tuna

A recent CSA haul included about a pound of creamy white potatoes:

as well as some gorgeous green beans and
a bunch of basil that was leafy and fragrant.

I added a few staples from the pantry including
two tiny cans of tuna fillets packed in olive oil,
garlic of course...
salt, pepper, walnuts and some grated Parmesan:

20 minutes later dinner was on the table.

Potatoes, Pesto, Beans and Tuna

Serves six generously

Leaves from 1 large bunch basil (about 2 cups of tightly packed leaves)
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, (approximate), plus more for serving and storage

1 pound small white potatoes, sliced thinly
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

2 small cans tuna fillets packed in olive oil

Make the pesto:

blitz the garlic in a food processor for about 5 seconds.
Add the basil and pulse until basil is coarsely chopped.
Remove lid of processor and scrape down sides of work bowl.
Add the cheese, salt, pepper and the walnuts and blitz again briefly.
Don't over process. Walnuts should still be visible in small pieces.

With machine running, add olive oil in a slow stream.
Keep adding oil until the pesto is loose and creamy.
Set aside.

Cook the beans and potatoes:

Place sliced potatoes in a large pot and add cold water to cover by 2 inches.
Bring to a boil and cook until barely soft, about 6 minutes for small new potatoes.
Add the green beans and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Potatoes should be cooked but not mushy,
and green beans should be bright green and still have some snap.
Drain well and spread on a shallow platter.

Finish the dish:

Drizzle the vegetables with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and toss to coat them evenly.
Add 2/3 cup pesto and combine well. Reserve the remaining pesto for another use.
Add the drained tuna and toss again, keeping tuna in fairly large chunks.
Taste, add more salt and pepper as needed.

Pass additional Parmesan at the table.

Buon Appetito!

Two notes:

About the tuna in oil: Julia Child rightly pointed out in one of her books that Americans wrecked caned tuna in our quest to make foods fat free at the expense of flavor-- to make up for the grease in the large order of fries?

There is only 3 grams more fat in a serving of tuna packed in oil than in a serving of tuna packed in water, and the flavor difference is startling. Try the oil packed tuna in any recipe (including tuna salad) just drain as you would the water packed stuff and proceed. And given that we all just dump gobs of mayo into the tuna anyway, what's the big deal?

Pesto: store the remaining pesto in a small glass bowl: smooth the surface of the pesto and coat with about a quarter inch of extra virgin olive oil. It will keep in the fridge for weeks and is the perfect summer accoutrement to so many things:

• Mix a tablespoon into scrambled eggs
• Stir a couple spoonfuls into a mixture of half mayo and half sour cream. Add some crushed red pepper flakes and use as a dip for cut vegetables
• Spread a thin layer between several slices of mild cheese (Munster or Jack yes, but even American). Wrap tightly, and refrigerate for several hours or over night. Serve thin slices of this tort with crackers for a killer appetizer.
• Slather some over fish, burgers, or frankly dog poop. It really makes anything taste good.