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Most people would think to simply discard radish leaves and only use the actual radish, but did you know that these leaves can be turned into a delicious pesto? This recipe comes from our contributor Margaret Jennings who loves to turn food that is typically discarded into delicious, flavorful cuisine.

Radish Leaf Pesto

Ingredients

·         Leaves from one bunch of radish thoroughly washed and dried

·         2 handfuls of raw cashews

·         2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped

·         2 ½ oz Gruyere cheese roughly chopped

*All amounts are approximate and can be varied to taste.

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a food processor to your preferred consistency.

I like it quite coarse with pasta or gnocchi and slightly smoother if I’m using it as a dip with fresh crusty bread.

The flavor of the radish leaves fades quickly so aim to use it the day you make it, although if you have used a good quality extra virgin local organic olive oil it still tastes delicious a week later!

If you prefer less pungency from your garlic you can cook the roughly chopped cloves gently in the olive oil over a low heat for a few minutes to reduce the ‘fire’ in it.  Remember to let it cool down before you add it to the other ingredients in the food processor otherwise you will melt the cheese and it will turn into a sticky mess!