It’s been five years since I called New York City home and, while I am glad to live elsewhere, I always feel nostalgic for places, things, and even smells that remind me of the city. Tiny cafés on tree lined streets in the West Village make my heart skip a beat and I long to transport to one, with Jordan and Ina, for a Saturday morning coffee or late night dessert. My favorite of all the village spots will always be Buvette, the itty bitty bistro on Grove Street by chef Jody Williams. Since I can’t snap my fingers and visit Buvette DAILY, I get by on Williams’ cookbook Buvette: The Pleasure of Good Food. There are so many amazing recipes and ideas in this book but I particularly love one for walnut pesto tartinettes. Serve a bowl of this walnut pesto to spread on fresh, lightly toasted country bread as an appetizer and your guests will be RAVING. It’s perfect paired with hard cheeses, Italian olives, and a glass of rosé. I can also imagine it would be delish tossed with linguine or as a topping for grilled chicken. Best of all – it takes minutes to whip up!
The recipe is below, along with a few more pics of the restaurant Buvette to make your heart flutter.
walnut pesto
1 cup raw walnuts
1/4 cup packed Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, coarsely grated
1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (either packed in oil or softened in hot water for 10 minutes; either way, be sure to drain them)
coarse salt
few slices of country bread, toasted
In a food processor, pulse the walnuts, cheese, garlic, and thyme with the sherry vinegar until coarsely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the olive oil and tomatoes. Season with salt and serve with toasted bread. The pesto will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
