Nasturtium Pesto

In my garden, the nasturtiums seed themselves and grow wild unless I stop them. They are a fantastic flower for a kitchen garden for many reasons: easy to grow, the flowers, leaves and seeds are all edible, the leaves are rich in vitamin C, and they are so colourful and pretty.

Once in a while, when I feel the plants are going to take over, I pick some nice leaves to make this yummy healthy pesto. Go for good looking fresh leaves, don’t use dried or damaged ones for this recipe. Wash the leaves before starting, make sure to discard any little insects if there are any, and any soil.

For a jar of pesto, you will need:

- 3 packed cups of washed nasturtium leaves

- 1 cup of nuts (pecan, walnut, pistachio, pine nuts or any other nuts you like)

- ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

- Salt to taste

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor to a pesto texture, add more oil if the pesto is too thick.

Extras:

Add a clove of garlic for a strong taste

Add half a cup of Parmesan cheese for an extra layer of flavour

Store in a clean (and preferably sterilized) jar in the fridge.

Use this pesto like basil pesto, for pasta, salads and in sandwiches.