A lively garden pesto combining peppery nasturtium leaves and flowers with walnuts, Parmesan and lemon.
Quick Facts
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Makes: About 1 small jar
Storage: Refrigerate and use within 3 days
Ingredients
- 80 g nasturtium leaves
- 30 g nasturtium flowers
- 50 g walnuts
- 50 g Parmesan
- 1 garlic clove
- 100 ml olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon
Method
- Wash and dry the nasturtium leaves and flowers.
- Blend in a food processor with the walnuts, Parmesan and garlic until finely chopped.
- Add the olive oil gradually until the desired texture is reached, then season to taste if needed.
- Stir in the lemon juice and spoon into a clean jar.
Ways to Enjoy It
Spoon through pasta, spread on bread or serve alongside roasted vegetables. For a different flavour, substitute some or all of the nasturtium leaves with basil or blanched young nettles, or combine all three. This is a simple way to use it up if you have a glut of herbs or edible flowers.
Plant Notes
Nasturtium leaves and flowers have a distinctive peppery flavour, which makes them a good alternative in traditional pesto recipes. Basil makes the pesto milder, while correctly identified young nettles can be used after blanching and squeezing them thoroughly dry.
Important Information
Use correctly identified, unsprayed plants grown or gathered for culinary use. Handle raw nettles with gloves and blanch them before blending. Refrigerate promptly and use within three days. Nasturtiums are sometimes mentioned in herbal traditions, but this recipe is intended for food use rather than as a natural remedy for skin infections to sinus or any other condition.
