Simple Nettle Walnut Pesto

Keeping it fresh fresh with this oh so simple nettle walnut pesto that has only 7 ingredients! Feeling enlivened after making this recipe, and grateful for spring herbs and vegetables after winters long, dark, cold season.

This recipe brings me to sweet memories of last summer! To warm moments harvesting nettles with friends, farm team, and internship cohorts on the Banyan Farm while attending their LAI internship program studying the fundamentals of Ayurveda, Farming and Herbalism. Then, enjoying them in a meal and to dry for herbs.

First, I begin with an Ayurveda practice before cooking that I love, helping to keep past, present, or future worries and thoughts from being cooked in or stirred into the food. To ground me into the moment before gathering the ingredients to have everything in arms reach. I close my eyes and take a few rounds of deep breaths. Then, wash my hands.

Pair this recipe with the Trusting Walnut Nettle Pesto Pasta recipe. Slather this pesto on toast. Toss with cooked vegetables or rice. If you like nettles, you might also enjoy the Invigoraged Brunch Bowl !

Trusting walnut pesto pasta

Plants are powerful teachers and I love learning from them. Connecting with nettles and other plants with thorns remind me to check in with my boundaries and personal limits. To ask if I am exceeding them or needing to shift something with what’s showing up in my current relationship dynamics.

Inspired after reading about nettles in Paul Pitchford’s book, Healing with Whole Foods. “A kidney tonic in the West. Nettles have been widely used in Europe to improve vitality.” (p. 363)

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Recipe

Makes about 6 oz

Organic ingredients

Gather : Food processor, colander/strainer, spatula, gloves, hand juicer (optional), medium frying pan/skillet, ingredients.

Walnut Nettle Pesto

• *5 oz Nettles, de-stemmed, washed + drained (weighed after washing)*

• 1 oz Walnuts

• 0.50 oz Lemon Juice

• 1.5 oz EVOO

• 4 Pinches of Salt, to taste

• Ground Pepper, to taste

• 1 small Garlic clove

Directions

1. First, gather ingredients. Next, wash your hands. Then, put on gloves. I like to wear 3 gloves for each hand to reduce nettle stings.

2. Now, remove the leaves from the stems and place in a colander to wash, rinsing the nettle leaves. Then, gently gather all nettles and squeeze to remove excess water.

3. Next, weigh nettles and other ingredients.

4. Heat a splash (enough to cover bottom of pan) of EVOO in a medium skillet over medium-high. Once oil is heated, add nettles, and cook for five minutes or until deeper green.

5. Add, all ingredients except EVOO to food processor. Mixing on medium setiing, slowly add all EVOO to top of food processor while it’s running.

6. Then, with a spatula push the ingredients on the sides back into the mix. I also like to check near and under the blade to see if garlic or anything got wedged underneath and needs to be lifted into the pesto mix. Continue this process for a few minutes more, until all ingredients have been fully incorporated into a gritty green paste.

7. Taste, and add more salt and pepper here, if needed.

   *It might look like a lot of nettles, they cook down considerably like spinach does.

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Reference : Pitchford, Paul. “Chapter 28 : Water Element.” Healing with Whole Foods : Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition, North Atlantic Books, 2002, p. 363.

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