Winter herb pesto

It might be much too cold for growing basil at the moment but there are still fresh herbs, packed with flavour and rich in vitamins, that you can harvest and turn into a delicious pesto. Rocket leaves are especially good at this time of year – fast and easy to grow as microgreens. Parsley and chervil can also be overwintered, given a little protection, to provide a few leaves through the coldest months.

Like the classic basil pesto, this version is great stirred through pasta. You can also use it to give risottos colour and another layer of flavour, add a little extra oil and drizzle it over roasted vegetables (it’s especially good with tomatoes), or stir a generous spoonful into a bowl of warming soup.

Winter herb pesto

Ingredients

a good big handful of fresh leaves (I used rocket, parsley and chervil), rinsed, dried and roughly chopped

2 plump cloves garlic, roughly chopped

a small handful of walnuts

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

pinch of sea salt flakes

Blitz the herbs, garlic and nuts with a little of the oil in a food processor, or crush them using a pestle and mortar, until you have a smooth, pale green paste. Add the rest of the olive oil, lemon juice and salt to taste.

This is a very easy and versatile recipe. You can change the herbs with the seasons… try sorrel, rocket and chives in spring, and use almonds, pine nuts or cashews in place of walnuts.

Use the pesto straight away or store in the fridge for a couple of days.