Nasturtium pesto

[Green Aura]

This is probably not new to a lot of folk, but it was a huge revelation to me. I never manage to grow sufficient basil (and dislike every commercial one I've tasted) so tend not to bother.

Anyway the nasturtiums are taking over the polytunnel, so last week I hauled up 3-4 plants and made pesto with walnuts and parmesan and same amount again this week with pine nuts and pecorino.

I can't give any specific quantities but essentially it was and I don't think it matters - just add until it tastes good.

1 salad spinner basket full to popping with nasturtium leaves flowers and the finer stems
1 bag of Lidl walnuts (of two small bag of pine nuts) - I toasted the pinenuts, didn't with the walnuts
A couple of cloves of garlic
A 2"ish cube of cheese, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic
A pinch of salt
A squeeze of lemon, just about a teaspoon
Lots of olive oil

We've had it with pasta, in soup, mixed with mayo as a salad dressing and squished into beef mince with a chopped onion to make burgers. Fabulous every which way!

And today, alongside ours I made our gal a small pot of vegan pesto, substituting nutritional yeast flakes for the cheese. I think she liked it - she was eating it off a spoon straight from the jar.

[Brewtrog]

Sounds good, shame my parents wont let me grow nasturtiums any more, not after the 2 little plants (school and sunday school both having the same idea of growing them) took over half of our front garden

[wabbit955]

I made it a few time almost like it better than basil
almost made pesto from oregano works well to.
tend to be with cob nuts from my tree

[MKG]

THAT'S what I've forgotten!!! No nasturtiums this year, apart from strays.

I'm putting it down to the absent-mindedness induced by too much unpaid intellectual stress. And NO - that is not the same as dementia.

Mike

[ina]

Most of my nasturtium leaves get eaten (or at least marked) by something or other, so I've never had the courage to try them myself...

[Green Aura]

All my nasturtiums are strays, Mike. We just didn't have the heart to weed out the self sets, hence the rather colourful mix of plants in the polytunnel this year.

absent-mindedness induced by too much unpaid intellectual stress

- I'm pinching that one!

Ina, some of ours get eaten but I just wash them and eat them.

[boboff]

What a lovely Idea.

Cant you pickle the seeds as well and use as those funny green italian ball thingys too?

[ojay54]

Err, d'you mean capers? Yes I have a faint recollection of a recipe for pickling them,but they aren't that similar to taste.

[boboff]

Capers! Thank you. Couldn't think of the word.

I made pesto with Wild Garlic....... usual trouble with me, made about 6lb, still have 5 & 1/2 lb in the cupboard 3 years on!

[Zech]

I was going to make wild garlic pesto, but wasn't sure how long it would keep. Do you pasteurize it or anything?

My nasturtiums are still a bit small for picking leaves, but it won't be long...

[RunnerBean]

Brilliant idea, mine are starting to take over. Thanks for the recipe

[boboff]

I was going to make wild garlic pesto, but wasn't sure how long it would keep. Do you pasteurize it or anything?

My nasturtiums are still a bit small for picking leaves, but it won't be long...

Colour still looks lovely, taste wise it was always...... Shit....... Sorry... I mean "earthy" " Grassy" so if you are a cow it does taste like, that first word......