I grew these beauties from seed last Spring and, thanks to the mild winter, they are still going strong! I love the way nasturtiums climb up and around and along, turning their colourful faces to the light long after most of the summer flowers have gone.
Nasturtium flowers are so pretty just scattered over a salad or sitting atop a luscious lemon cake but, today, it is the leaves which take centre stage. My pesto is simple to make, full of peppery goodness and vegan too! If you want the full nasturtium effect use large leaves as plates topped with a flowery late summer salad, drizzled with leaf pesto!
If you want to grow your own nasturtiums for pretty salads next year they really are very easy! Once you’ve grown them and enjoyed them, let them go to seed and you can make ‘Poor Man’s Capers’ with them! Also, if you let them drop their seeds, you’ll have a fresh supply of leaves and flowers next year!
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Nasturtium Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup tightly packed nasturtium leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 large garlic clove - peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and dry the nasturtium leaves
- Toast the pine nuts in a small saucepan over a low heat until just browned
- Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and whizz until smooth
- Spoon into a clean jar
- Keeps in the fridge for about 10 days
love it! can’t beat home made pesto but who’d have thought to use nasturtium – certainly not me!
🙂 Thanks Helen! x
I’ve just made some using cashew nuts instead of pine nuts. I also added a squeeze of lemon. It’s so good and much nicer than I imagined.
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s a very surprising taste isn’t it?!
This looks delicious, I may have to grow some nasturtiums especially.
It is and you should! 🙂
You are super genius. Am very impressed. The colour is amazing.
Astonishing taste – didn’t need any pepper – it was zingy enough without!