Oregano-Cashew Pesto

I came up with a way to use the oregano in the garden.  Once again, it's pesto.  This time, I'm only making enough for four to six servings.  It has been a long time since I've even thought about making pesto again.

Pesto is a wonderfully simple sauce.  You throw everything in the food processor, adjust for taste, and you're done.  It looks and tastes fancy, and definitely brings an intense floral note to a dish.  Plus, it's on my Mediterranean diet as a way to incorporate olive oil into more dishes.  I am very determined to get my numbers back on track.

It always amazes me how you can blend or process so much down to so little volume.  If you just read the ingredients, it looks like you're making close to 2 C of sauce.  In reality, the volume of the oregano disappears and you're left with less than a cup of sauce.  Since 2 Tb (one ounce) is a serving, this is how much I planned to make.  There was a bit left over, that I can use for impromptu lunch pizza or something.

*1 C fresh oregano leaves, packed
*1/4 C cashews
1/4 C parmesan or *nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
*2 cloves garlic
1 Tb lemon juice, optional
1/4 C olive oil, or to desired consistency

1.  Add oregano, cashews, salt, garlic and cheese or "nooch" to the food processor.  I've been eating a lot of cheese lately and opted to make this one vegan.  Pulse at first, then run into a chunky paste.  Scrape down.

2.  If not planning to finish the batch within 48 hours, add lemon juice to reduce darkening.  With processor running, stream in first 1/4 cup of oil.  Scrape down and check for flavor and consistency.  I ran it again with a touch more salt and about 2 Tb more oil.

3.  Either use immediately, or refrigerate.  Sauce will harden in the fridge, but become more liquid once warmed.

Makes about 2/3 C, depending how much oil you used

Difficulty rating  π