RECIPE: Nasturtium Pesto

My husband plants nasturtiums in our raised beds to draw aphids away from the food plants.  I think nasturtiums are delicious!  I use the leaves, flowers, and seed pods in salads, I use the flowers in ice cubes, and I have pickled the seed pods.  

Last fall, when the weather forecast called for 'frost', I harvested the plants and looked for a way to use such a large amount.  When I stumbled on this recipe I knew I would love it! I've made it with both pistachios and cashews.    

I greatly reduced the amounts of cheese, nuts, and oil, because I wanted to taste the nasturtiums - the pesto is wonderful with roasted tomato soup.  You can adjust the quantities to suit your taste as well.

Yesterday, I harvested a bowlful of leaves and flowers.  I didn't have as many as I did last fall, so I adjusted the recipe accordingly, and it was just as good as I remember.  I stored it in Miron glass to protect the color, and tasted it every few days to see how it changed.  It was quite sharp right after I made it, and deliciously mellow after 5 days, which is the longest you should keep it or you risk contracting botulism.  I stirred it into quark (about 60:40 quark:pesto) and scooped it up with carrot dippers.  

Original recipe: Nasturtium Pesto

Nasturtium Pesto

Nasturtium Pesto

Makes about 1.5 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups (approximately 3 oz) of APHID-FREE nasturtium leaves, flowers and buds (more leaves = greener), washed and spun dry*
  
• 3 ounces (1/2 cup) raw cashews
• 3 ounces (1/2 cup) grated parmesan or pecorino-romano cheese
• 3 t. garlic, grated on a microplane
• 2 t. lemon zest, minced 
• 1/2 cup avocado oil, divided
• Salt and pepper/cayenne to taste.
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Put the cheese into the bowl of a processor and pulse to grind fine

Add the nuts to the processor and pulse to grind fine

You can see the cheese and cashews on the bottom, nasturtiums on top

Add the garlic, lemon zest and nasturtiums to the processor and pulse until they're chopped.

Nasturtium leaves, flowers and seed pods.

Pulse to chop.

Add 1/4 cup of the oil and process to a paste.  If you need to, add another tablespoon or two, but reserve 1-2 T oil to top the pesto once it's in the jar.  

Add oil, and grind to a paste.

Add salt and pepper to taste.   

Transfer to a glass container.  Cover the top with 1-2 T. oil.  Refrigerate and use within with 5 days, or freeze.  

I taste this every day and find that I like it best the day after I make it.  Towards the end of the 5 days, the nasturtiums start to lose their bite.  Best to freeze it as soon as you love the flavor if you won't be using it soon!

*I cleaned the nasturtiums, and then stored them in the fridge, in a glass container, until I was ready to use them.  If you won't be using them soon after harvesting, please keep them in the fridge so they don't wilt.  If they do wilt, rejuvenate them in a bowl of cold water, then dry them well before proceeding with the recipe.

The Weck jar below will go in the fridge, the other two in the freezer: