Fresh Nasturtium Pesto Recipe
Many of us have recently found a quiet respite in our gardens and having dirt under your nails is the hot new mani. Well, today a miracle happened. I was in an amazing local Facebook gardening group and someone mentioned the idea of a nasturtium pesto recipe. My head almost popped.
Nasturtiums?!?! No way. My garden is FULL of nasturtiums and I love them because they bring in the bees and birds that my veggies need – but, pesto!?
I have heard of making pesto with nettles, carrot tops, garlic scapes and, of course, basil, but this completely threw me for a loop.
So, here’s the thing, my food processor broke last week, but I wasn’t going to let this one fly by. Instead of the food processor, I used my immersion blender – and it was a little messy. I can handle messy. However, I wouldn’t recommend this because the toasted walnuts got a little crazy and, um, airborne.
The other thing about this recipe is the importance of the individual ingredients. For your homemade nasturtium pesto use parmesan that you have to grate. No snow cheese (that’s the tall green plastic container). I used fresh garlic that was pulled from a local farm two days ago – and it is the Music variety, my favorite because it is mild and has HUGE cloves. Use goooood olive oil. Finally, for the coarse salt, San Juan Island Sea Salt. There is no other option in this house. BAM!
As with any recipe, the ingredients will make all the difference. If your family likes garlic, this is perfect. If you have some really strong garlic, maybe dial it down a notch. Remember, recipes aren’t set in stone. Feel free to freestyle it a little to meet your needs. Want to use pecans, pine nuts, or almonds instead? Go for it!
Nasturtiums have a wonderful spicy, peppery taste and I didn’t add any pepper, but if you are pepper people, add a dash or four.
Make it. Enjoy it. Tell us how you served it. Today, my kids asked if they could have it on crackers and that’s why I made another double batch.
Fresh Nasturtium Pesto Recipe
We love having these bright flowers in our gardens to attract birds and bees, but did you know that the leaves and petals are edible? Nasturtium Pesto will have you planting more seeds and making more.
Ingredients
- 6 cups Nasturtium leaves
- 5 Fresh garlic cloves coarsely chop
- 3/4 cup Walnuts roasted
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan freshly grated
- 2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp Salt coarse
Instructions
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Pick nasturtiums and wash and rinse each leaf under cold water. Use a salad spinner to remove excess water or pat dry.
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In a small skillet over medium heat, add walnuts gently stir until they are toasted.
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In a food processor, add the hot walnuts and coarsely chop.
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Add garlic to the food processor.
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Add Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to the food processor.
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Using a spatula, scoop it into a jar and chill for half an hour.
PIN IT FOR LATER:
Other Summer Recipes:
- Thai Salad with Sesame Garlic Dressing
- Our Favorite Sheet Pan Dinners for Busy Weeknights
- Easy Peasy Berry Freezer Jam
- 20 MUST TRY Easy and Delicious Non-Zucchini Spiralizer Recipes
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