Wow! It’s been very hard to stay warm these last few days. Record cold temps have had me wishing for summer. This delicious duck breast seared with pesto was the perfect burst of summertime flavor in my mouth.
We hatched these Silver Appleyards back in March but did not harvest them until November due to extreme busy-ness on the homestead this summer. When we finally decided which drakes to keep and which to cull a few of them were well past prime harvesting age.
What we did have time for harvesting this summer was some amazing basil. The soaring temps and lack of rain did not bother the basil plants at all. They just kept right on producing. In addition to the regular Genovese basil we grew some dark Opal Basil as well which seemed to really love the drier summer we had.
We kept harvesting and processing all we could through the late summer. Every armload we brought in was turned into some incredible Basil Pesto here. In the end we had processed 8 quart bags into pesto. Delicious, vibrant, summertime-in-your-mouth pesto was now waiting for me in the freezer anytime I needed some warmth.
Fast forward to January this year as the Arctic Blast of winter swept the U.S. from coast to coast. I longingly gazed outside to my dreary garden spot. Yes, it is currently productive, but not nearly as showy as her summertime radiance. That’s when I heard the call of Basil Pesto and knew it must be heeded.
I quickly trimmed the duck breasts away and decided to rub some of my precious pesto on regular chicken thighs as well. Tonight would be a sheet pan dinner from the oven that would warm our bodies. Joyously, I prepared a meal which warmed my soul.
The sides were simply a pasta salad with a bit of the pesto for seasoning as well as some roasted asparagus which also benefited from a little basil bath as well. Pretty as a picture, right?
While I am still longing for summer nights here on the homestead, I would have to say that this Duck Breast Seared with Pesto certainly was satisfying. I hope you will give it a try and let me know your thoughts. Don’t forget, let’s plant a seed and grow sustainability this year!
