LKA Olive Pesto | The Perfect Spring Side Dish
A Nut- & Dairy-Free Recipe That Builds Confidence, Coordination, and Flavor Awareness
Kids in the Kitchen is our blog series, where in collaboration with Click and Grow, we’re sharing Little Kitchen Academy recipes and tips for getting kids interested in food and involved in the kitchen.
This pesto is a Little Kitchen Academy favorite! It’s nut-free, dairy-free, and incredibly rich in flavor. With fresh basil, briny olives, and smooth olive oil, it’s the perfect spring side dish that surprises and delights.
In our Montessori-inspired cooking academy, recipes like this are an opportunity for children to practice proper kitchen techniques, develop independence, and understand how ingredients come together with purpose.
The Perfect Spring Side Dish
Why This Recipe Matters
This simple pesto offers powerful learning moments:
- Practicing safe and purposeful knife skills
- Building patterns and focus through multi-step preparation
- Exploring how textures and flavors change when blended
- Developing independence and confidence in the kitchen
At home, even small moments in the kitchen can become meaningful opportunities to build lifelong skills together.
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cup fresh, loosely packed basil leaves
- 1/4 cup green olives, pitted
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Set Up Your Workspace
Prepare your blender and organize your ingredients in a clean, calm space.
Invite your child to set up their own station. Giving them ownership from the start builds responsibility and focus.
- Wash & Prepare Ingredients
Rinse the basil under cold water and gently pat dry. Place your garlic on the cutting board.
Talk through why we wash ingredients and handle them with care. This builds awareness of cleanliness and respect for food.
💡 At Little Kitchen Academy, students harvest fresh basil directly from our Click & Grow Smart Gardens. This hands-on step connects children to where their food comes from, turning ingredients into something they’ve watched grow.
- Practice Knife Skills (With Observation)
This step should only be done by your child if they’ve already learned proper knife techniques and can demonstrate safe, controlled movements. If not, this is exactly where Little Kitchen Academy comes in! We provide the instruction, progression, and environment for students to build these skills with confidence and care.
Trim the garlic, gently smash it to remove the skin, then finely chop. Prepare the basil by slicing into thin ribbons or tearing for younger children.
Even if you’re doing most of the cutting, let your child participate! Tearing herbs or practicing safe, simple cuts build confidence over time.
- Prepare the Olives
Measure the olives, and slice or chop.
💡 Tool Spotlight: Cherry Pitter
Each tool we use at LKA serves a specific purpose for Montessori education.
We love to use cherry pitters in class as an engaging, controlled, and satisfying activity. By allowing your child to safely remove pits, they can strengthen hand coordination and confidence with kitchen tools.
Through this hands-on work, children are developing foundational skills through a purposeful activity.
- Intelligent Purpose: Hand eye coordination and proper strong grip.
- Point of Interest: Watching the pit fly into the bowl. Discovering there is a hole in the olive or cherry where the seeds used to be.
- Control of Error: Properly positioning the olive so the pitter can close and pop out the pit.
- Measure & Combine
Add garlic, basil, olives, and pepper to the blender. Measure and pour in the olive oil.
Let your child help with measuring. Seeing quantities and pouring ingredients supports early math skills and independence.
- Blend & Observe
Blend until smooth and creamy. Then, add a small amount of water if needed to reach your desired consistency.
Pause and ask your child what’s changing: how does it look, smell, and sound? This builds an understanding of how ingredients transform.
Serve with pita chips and enjoy!
This Olive Pesto reflects what we believe at Little Kitchen Academy: your child is capable of more than you think. When given the right environment, guidance, and trust, they can safely build confidence that carries into everyday life.
