GATHER JOURNAL

Photograph by Winona Barton-Ballentine Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero Prop Styling by Heather Greene


    
Meg Murry (A Wrinkle in Time)

Tesseract Pesto Kelp Noodles

Starters from Issue 11 – Summer 2017 – Heroines

In 1962’s A Wrinkle in Time, three children (including Meg Murry, a champion of square pegs everywhere) travel to another dimension by “wrinkling time” through a tesseract to rescue Meg’s scientist dad. It’s love that saves the day—a lesson that head and heart should be relied on in equal measure. We riffed off the drawing in which Mrs. Whatsit explains a tesseract using an insect and Mrs Who’s skirt hem, with a tangle of kelp noodles—the pasta of the future!—sprinkled, if you dare, with edible ants.

serves 4



  • ¾ cup raw pistachios
  • ¾ cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 cups tightly packed basil leaves
  • 1 cup tightly packed spinach leaves
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • a pinch of red chili flakes
  • ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 12 oz kelp noodles
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • flaky sea salt for sprinkling
  • dehydrated black ants, optional (at marxfoods.com)

  • 1

    Toast pistachios and pumpkin seeds in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until pumpkin seeds pop. Cool completely, then transfer to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Set aside about ½ cup for garnish. Add garlic, basil, spinach, lemon zest, chili flakes, and ¾ tsp salt to the processor and pulse to a coarse mixture. With machine running, drizzle in oil and lemon juice. Loosen with water if needed.
  • 2

    Rinse kelp noodles and pat dry. Toss with enough pesto just to coat. Top with tomatoes, reserved pistachios, and pepitas. Sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt and ants for extra protein crunch if you’re feeling brave. Serve extra pesto on the side.