Still no rain, well not to speak of but looking at the weather forecast for the next week
I see we could be in for thunderstorms, showers and drizzle!
Getting back into it
Last week my friend and I began our morning walking again. There’s something about beginning your day with a brisk walk, it definitely puts me in a good frame of mind and I feel more energetic and raring to go. It also gives us time to catch up on what women chat about!
Edible flowers
I was at an appointment last week at The Hamlet Foundation in Regents Park and noticed whole beds of nasturtium plants. I commented on how healthy they looked and added they can be eaten. Segri Subrumuny (CEO, director) showed an interest in the plants and I suggested they should try and sell them to the markets for eating.
When I left I became anxious, wondering if in fact they were edible and had visions of Segri picking and eating them, and becoming sick or even worse! As soon as I arrived back at the office I googled nasturtium! Thank goodness I was correct.
They are a good source of immunity-boosting vitamin C and can also be used as a natural remedy to help the body overcome and prevent colds and flu, help with sore throats as well as bacterial and fungal infections.They apparently also contain high amounts of manganese, iron, flavonoids, and beta and carotene.
Can you eat nasturtium leaves and flowers?
Yes, you can, especially the young leaves. The flowers have a peppery taste and are wonderful in salads.
I googled recipes that contain nasturtium and found this one.
Nasturtium Pesto – courtesy of Martha Stewart
Ingredients
2 cups nasturtium leaves
Half a cup thinly sliced nasturtium stems
Half a cup of toasted pine nuts
Four cloves of garlic
One cup olive oil
A quarter cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Method
Bring a large pot of water to a boil; prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. Add nasturtium leaves to boiling water; cook for 10 seconds. Drain and transfer to ice-water bath until cool. Drain and set aside.
Place leaves, pine nuts, garlic, and oil in the jar of a blender; blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and fold in stems and cheese.
A cheaper alternative, why don’t you give it a try, I’m going to.
That’s it for this week. Shop till you drop!
Julie
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