A few years ago, Will was the kid on the beach afraid to leave his little chair and get his toes sandy. He used to scream about it being dirty.

But children grow and change.

Yesterday I watched at a distance as Will studied the periwinkles, hermit crabs and minnows that inhabit the tidal pools in this neck of the woods with his cousin. Separated by only a few months, it amazes me to see them play together. In a short span of time, they’ve grown from barely sitting infants to toddlers who weren’t quite sure how to play together to little boys who belted out songs on a little microphone last Christmas.

They can now have conversations with each other. They’ve got opinions and ideas …

Time does fly, doesn’t it? It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was the one playing with my cousins on the beach, exploring the pools and chasing the birds. Okay, maybe we didn’t chase birds because we were girls, but you get the idea. Now we’re the moms sitting at a distance letting our boys get a taste of the freedom that comes with childhood.

Back when we were kids, dinner was often pork chops, German sausages, or sometimes steak. For vegetables, corn, green beans and peas made frequent appearances. These days, it’s different. Tonight’s dinner packed a heavy wallop of veggie action with a side of sauteed Swiss chard and pasta with kale pesto.

Kale is one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. I happen to fall into the faction of people who love the earthy taste of this stubborn green. That earthiness comes through loud and clear in this pesto. Mix about 1/4 of this pesto with enough penne to feed four as a side, slice up some crusty bread, grill up some tasty chicken and then enjoy.

Kale Pesto

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale, chopped (15-20 stalks)
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese, you can substitute Parmesan, if you prefer
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• a generous amount of salt

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Kale pesto can be frozen in smaller portions to use through the winter.