Garden Pesto

(Vegan, GF). Serves 4.

This simply delicious recipe for garden pesto is packed with green plant power, it’s not only healthy and will help to keep you gut healthy and happy, but it can also be modified easily to fight off colds and flues. It’s gluten free, vegan and high in protein and iron, and the green polyphenols will provide food for your good bugs in your gut microbiome, especially if eaten regularly. It’s super quick and easy to make.

Ingredients

1 cup of cashew nuts (or pine nuts)

1 cup herbal green goodness from your garden, parsley is my favourite choice with a few others thrown in for good measure.

½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

½ a teaspoon of sea salt

Juice of 1 large lemon

1-2 cloves of crushed garlic (optional, leave out if you are low FODMAP)

Method

1. Put all the ingredients into the food processor and blend on high until mixed but still a little chunky.

2. Add additional olive oil or lemon juice if the mix is too thick and not blending, or not tangy enough - go easy though it’s easy to put too much liquid in and end up with unappetising sloppy pesto.

3. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the top and a sprinkle of finely chopped cashews to serve. Keeps for 5-7 days in the refrigerator.

NOTE: You can be as creative as you like with this recipe. I often use coriander leaf and a bit of chilli and sesame oil to give a more Asian style flavour. If you have a cold/flu bump up the garlic and add more thyme and oregano to the mix (the spicy Greek oregano is most medicinal). You can also add a few leave here and there of weed-foods like dandelion leaf, nettle leaf, nasturtium and chickweed for a added nutritional boost.