PESTO
4 cups kale stemmed and chopped
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup shelled pistachios
½ cup virgin olive oil
¼ cup vegetable broth
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt

FARRO
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup farro rinsed and drained well
¼ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese (optional)
1 cup cooked white beans (mixed with a spritz of lemon juice and a pinch of salt if using canned)
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

To make pesto, bring a large pot of salted water to a full boil over high heat. Add the kale and cook for 30 seconds until bright green. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Squeeze the kale to remove excess water.
Put kale, basil, parsley, pistachios, olive oil, broth, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in food processor. Process until well blended. Taste and add more zest and lemon juice if desired.
To prepare farro, put water and salt in pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in farro. Decrease the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes. Drain farro, and return to the pot. Add 1 cup of the pesto, the Parmesan cheese, beans and sun-dried tomatoes. Taste, add more lemon and zest as necessary. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Reprinted with permission from The Longevity Kitchen: Satisfying Big-Flavor Recipes Featuring the Top 16 Age-Busting Power Foods Copyright © 2013 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press.

* My changes ☺ I did not steam the kale but processed in the food processor by itself, before adding the rest of the ingredients. I did not use broth at all, or salt, instead adding the juice of one lemon and the zest of the whole lemon (I love lemons!). Also I added twice the recommended garlic!

Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook Time: 20 minutes Storage: Airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days