![\"Nasturtiums](\"\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/3\/38\/Nasturtiums_%28Boston_Public_Library%29.jpg\/256px-Nasturtiums_%28Boston_Public_Library%29.jpg\")
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Nasturtiums are often over looked as a food source but in a bad year on an allotment they can really come into their own.\u00a0 The flowers and leaves can be used in salads, the buds can be blanched then pickled in vinegar for use as capers, and as I\u2019ve found, you can make quite a tasty Nasturtium leaf pesto<\/p>\n
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Recipe Nasturtium leaf pesto<\/p>\n
140g Nasturtium leaves \u2013 blanched for 30 seconds in boiling water, then refreshed in cold water<\/p>\n
7 tablespoons of Olive oil<\/p>\n
3 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts<\/p>\n
25-50g- Parmesan \u00a0(optional)<\/p>\n
2-4 cloves of garlic (depending on taste)<\/p>\n
In a coffee grinder or pestle and mortar grind the toasted pine nuts and garlic<\/p>\n
Place the resulting mixture in a food processor along with the remaining ingredients and mix!<\/p>\n
Put it in a sterilized jar or use it straight away on pasta etc. I have experimented with this by not blanching the leaves and it means it\u2019s slightly harder to mix but still makes a perfectly acceptable pesto.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ll take over your garden<\/em><\/p>\n They\u2019ll grow like the wind<\/em><\/p>\n Plant them just once<\/em><\/p>\n And they\u2019ll grow again and again<\/em><\/p>\n Old English Rhyme \u2013 written by Dave Hamilton Sept 2008<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Article written by Dave Hamilton. Dave has now left Selfsufficientish but you can catch up with him on davehamilton.me.uk or on twitter @davewildish<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"