Raw Kale and Hazelnut Pesto

One thing that I find that I really appreciate about living in the Yukon is the ridiculous amount of musical talent that exists up here. It's incredible, really. As I'm writing this current entry, I'm listening to an electronic artist from Inuvik (yes, yes I know that Inuvik is in the Northwest Territory, but hear me out, I only have to throw on my signal lights a grand total of 7 times to get there... 4 of which are getting out of my community, so... pipe down!) named Philippe Moran, who oozes talent from his eye-sockets. Anywho, I mention this because last night was a good reminder for me of how diverse the music scene up here is. A buddy of mine and I popped into one of our favourite local bars to grab a beer or 4 (Yukon Red, for those who wish to inquire) and catch up. Of course there was a live band that night. Actually, there were 3 live bands. Really awesome live bands. It feels like there is a live band at every bar, on every night of every week in the Yukon. They're well-recieved, too. Good enough to consistently sell out of tickets and bring bars to capacity.

I find it interesting though, how polite we Yukoners are. Sometimes I feel like I should apply this to all Canadians, but I can remember being at too many shows and performances in Calgary where half of the audience gets the f-ck out of the joint 10 minutes before the end to avoid the parking lot traffic jams, than to paint us all with the same brush. Yukoners, though, we don't just stay to the end and give a standing ovation, we stay for 20 minutes afterwards to help make sure the place is cleaned up and organized. I digress.

Last night, the moment that a band stepped on stage, everyone shut right up, directed their attention forwards and cared until the final song of the final set, where everyone grabbed a beer, got up, danced and sang. The final song, of course, was "The Good Ol' Hockey Game" by Stompin' Tom Connors, so the sing-a-long is unavoidable. Actually, thats something where I can paint all Canadians with the same brush. Well, maybe not Vancouverites. Maybe if it was a dance remix.

Cool, anyway... here's a pesto recipe for all of you raw foodies.


Raw Kale and Hazelnut Pesto

2 1/2 cups kale - finely chopped and pressed down for measurement
1/2 cup raw hazelnuts
2 tbsp raw flaxseeds
2 cloves organic garlic
1/2 lime - juice and zest
1 tbsp first cold-pressed olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt


1. After measuring out your chopped up kale, place the entirety of it into a food processor and pulse until chopped up into wee, itty-bitty shreds. If you're using a magic-bullet, like me, this will involve shaking your clenched-up fists and muttering expletives for 10 minutes of stopping and starting as you unscrew your lid, stir around the kale, pulse for another 5 seconds, and repeat.

2. Add the hazelnuts and flaxseeds to the kale, and pulse until well blended.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse away. How much you pulse it depends on the consistency that you like your pesto. I don't particularly like pasty-pesto (ha, see what I did there?). I like to still have a bit of texture, so I don't blend the snot out of it.

4. Consume.


More exciting news for all of you folks with food restrictions! This recipe is raw, vegan, gluten/yeast/dairy-free, and loaded to the frackin' brim with chlorophyll and iron. Unless you're a sun eater or allergic to nuts (uhm, guess which one I'm more concerned about. Chelsea Lees, you should look at substituting shallots or possibly a few tablespoons of millet flour for the hazelnuts. Two totally different flavours, but I think that both would be tasty), this recipe is appropriate for you.

Most raw foodies will already know this, but if you do want to make sure that this recipe is indeed raw, then be very selective with your ingredients. Flax seeds are not always necessarily raw, and neither is cold-pressed olive oil (though, they quite often are). Both are quite easy to find up in Whitehorse, but there is a lot of variety, and not all of it is labeled. I don't know many raw foodies in the North, so I doubt many of you will care one way or another, but if you do, just make sure that you do your research. Raw hazelnuts can be tricky to find. They're a "once in a while" surprise at Extra Foods, but they're certainly worth it.

Alright kidlets, I'm off to a movie where I will suffocate in popcorn, before coming home to host a gluten-free pizza party. Yes, there will be posting in this regard. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!