A green sauce redolent with fresh tender herbs and mild roasted garlic can lift a dish to new heights. Use it as a thick, saucy layer in canapés, tortes, lasagnas, or savory parfaits, or thin it for a dressing. Use your favorite tender green herb or a combination of basil, parsley, chives, dill, tarragon, marjoram, or summer savory. Add fresh lemon juice to preserve the herbs’ bright green color if you make the sauce in advance.

Makes about 1 cup.

1 head roasted garlic

1½ packed cups tender herbs

⅓ cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon shiro miso, or to taste

Freshly ground white or black pepper, to taste

½ teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

Up to 1 cup of water

1. In a blender, combine the roasted garlic, herbs, nutritional yeast, miso, pepper, and lemon juice (if using) with ½ cup of the water. Process until very smooth, adding a few more tablespoons of water to achieve a dense, spreadable sauce. To make a pourable dressing, thin with up to ½ cup additional water. Taste and correct seasonings as you like.

Variations:

Creamy Green Sauce: Use ½ of a ripe avocado in place of all or some of the water.

Pesto: Use basil, increase the nutritional yeast to ½ cup, and add ¼ cup pine nuts.