Closing a chapter on her catering career with a high-profile clientele, Private Chef Robin has embarked on a new chapter of personal dining, flavored salts, and her “A Taste of Ojai” cookbook. After meeting Private Chef Robin on Instagram and trying out a few of her small plate recipes, we found that these dishes using these infused salts with local fennel, lavender, and pink peppercorn made our bestseller list for spices!

Kale Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

3 cups (about 1 bunch) organic kale

5 sprigs fresh basil

½ cup hemp seeds

½ cup pistachio nuts, toasted

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon of “A Taste of Ojai” Fennel Sea Salt or your favorite sea salt and ground fennel

¼ cup flaxseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil

Optional

⅓ cup parmesan, feta, or pecorino cheese, grated

pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions

1. In a food processor, add the garlic cloves, kale, basil, hemp seeds, pistachio nuts, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper.
2. Turn on the processor and drizzle in oil.
3. Process to blend, stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor as necessary. Add more lemon, salt, or pepper to taste.
4. To achieve a thinner consistency, add more oil.
5. If you are serving with pasta, you can add some of the reserved pasta cooking water just before serving.