These lovely plants, with their unique greenery and vibrant intensely bright yellow, orange, and red flowers, and their lush, round leaves are also edible and incredibly delicious. When it came to eating these plants, nasturtiums weren’t consumed until it was taken to the East, where they were eaten and used for tea. Nasturtium carries a mildly peppery flavour with an aroma reminiscent of mustard. For some time, it was also known as “Indian cresses” due to the similar flavour profile between nasturtium and watercress. Now, they are a great way to kick up your salads, adding a brilliant punch of colour and creating stunning plates of art.

Nasturtium Pesto

Ingredients
2 cups nasturtium leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced nasturtium stems
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
4 cloves garlic
1 cup olive oil
1/4 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.

Besides their versatility they are amazing to paint. Their colour and shape invites slashes of the palette knife to create a mass of red, green, orange and yellow.