Fennel Pesto: What To Do With All Those Fennel Fronds I Told You To Save

Tell me true: is anything better than pesto? Ok, you know, maybe a few things, but the list is short. While we normally think of pesto being made of basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil, the basic pesto equation is anything green + garlic + hard cheese. Nuts give it a little more flavor, and a nice texture, but you can make it without, if you're so inclined (some recipes for the nut-allergic use soy beans in place of nuts). We made this with our leftover fennel fronds and walnuts, and it was awesome. 

Udon Noodles

Udon noodles are a thick, perfectly chewy Japanese noodle. As an adult, when I first had udon, it reminded me of the thick, pillowy noodles my Grandmother would put in her chicken soup. A great toothsome noodle is comfort food, no matter where you're from. I didn't get to learn my Grandmother's noodle recipe, but I bet the ingredients were a hell of a lot like the ones from this classic udon recipe.