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You are here: Home / Recipes / Sauces & dips / Radish leaf pesto

Radish leaf pesto

by Jeanne Horak on August 14, 2014 30 Comments in Sauces & dips, Vegetarian

RadishLeafPestoTitle © J Horak-Druiff 2014

 

Back in both 2012 and 2013 Two separate bodies did a bit of research to determine how much young people today know about where their food comes from.  The 2012 survey by the charity LEAF targeted 16-23 year-olds, while the 2013 survey by the British Nutrition Foundation looked at 5-16 year-olds.  What they uncovered was pretty depressing.  Almost a third of UK primary school pupils think cheese is made from plants;  and a quarter think fish fingers come from chicken or pigs.  Nearly 10 percent of secondary school pupils thinks tomatoes grow under ground.  In the older group, more than a third did not know bacon comes from pigs and 40 percent failed to link milk with an image of a dairy cow (7 percent even thought it was made from wheat!).  And before you think that British children are alone in this confusion, recent surveys in Australia found that 92 percent of the young people surveyed did not think that bananas grew on trees; but 27 percent did think that yoghurt grows on trees. 

I am pleased to say that most adults I know are aware of the provenance of fish fingers, bananas and yoghurt (!) – but I am still amazed on a regular basis at the checkout tills in supermarkets when I am buying fruit or vegetables and the person who has to key in the item’s code to get the correct price per weight turns to me blankly holding an aubergine and asks “is this a passion fruit?”.  It seems that we have become so used to being confronted by our food scrubbed clean of all traces of soil, trimmed of all unpopular bits and served up in a polystyrene tray, labelled with its name and barcode, that many of us struggle to tell the difference between a turnip and a Jerusalem artichoke when we are confronted by them fresh from the farm and covered in dirt.

 

Radishes © J Horak-Druiff 2014

 

Because you see, the thing is, vegetables don’t naturally present themselves blemish-free and dirt-free with all the difficult bits trimmed off. Grow your own and you will quickly come to realise that carrots come with masses of fine green foliage; broad beans  consist of more pod than bean – and are a pain to pod;  potatoes carry so much dirt with them you can easily clog your sink just trying to catch a glimpse of the tuber’s skin; and beetroot can be rather ungainly roots with bright red stalks and masses of red-veined leaves. And because we have become so used to buying our vegetables already cleaned and packaged, we have forgotten that some of the stuff that supermarkets routinely trim off and throw away is actually pretty good to eat – turnip greens, carrot greens and beet greens being the ones that spring immediately to mind.

 

RadishPesto3 © J Horak-Druiff 2014

 

When Nick first started his allotment last year, all the older allotment regulars were keen to offer advice and support – and he was also often the recipient of their crop surplusses.  One of the earliest crops of the summer is the radish, and quite soon after his arrival on the allotments a neighbour presented him with a lovely bunch of radishes.  Said neighbour was about to helpfully chop off the greens and toss them on the compost heap when Nick stopped him, knowing my penchant for cooking unusual bits and pieces.  Of course, he was right: although most people discard them, radish greens are an integral part of one of my favourite side dishes – braised radishes on their own garlicky greens – and Nick got into the habit of bringing me radishes with greens whenever he could.  But as this dish can be a little time-consuming I am always on the lookout of other things to do with radish greens, which is how I came across the idea of radish green pesto, and this recipe for it.

 

RadishPesto © J Horak-Druiff 2014

 

If you are growing your own radishes, try to harvest them young as the leaves get woodier and quite unpalatably prickly as they age.  Radish greens have a more bitter undertone when raw than, say, more traditional pesto greens like basil, so to take the edge off that you should substitute a sweeter nut rather than pine-nuts which can have an underlying bitterness of their own when untoasted.  I chose almonds, but you could also try pushing the boat out and using macadamia nuts.  As always with pesto, make sure the olive oil and the Parmesan are the best you can afford because you really do taste them in the final product.  The end result, as you see, is vibrantly green and the flavour is like basil pesto… but with more of a bite to it.  I served some of mine as canapés: on my favourite Peter’s Yard crispbreads topped with a slice of radish and some Parmesan shavings – perfect with a glass of dry white wine.  It’s also great with pasta or can be stored for up to a week in the fridge (or longer in the freezer).

 

RadishPesto2 © J Horak-Druiff 2014

 

If you enjoy slightly unusual pesto, have a look at what creations other pesto-loving bloggers have come up with:

My wild rocket pesto; David’s dandelion pesto; Nazima’s wild garlic & walnut pesto; Katie’s lemon & mint pesto; Elizabeth’s seaweed pesto; Urvashi’s nasturtium pesto; Helen’s pistachio pesto; Jen’s watercress, rocket, spinach and almond pesto; Becca’s sun-dried tomato and black olive pesto; Kellie’s sorrel & sunflower seed pesto; Sian’s spinach & walnut pesto;  and Jacqui’s cauliflower & pea pesto.

 

4.9 from 8 reviews
Radish leaf pesto
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
Most people discard radish greens - but they are great for eating, especially in this tangy take on pesto.
Author: Jeanne Horak-Druiff
Recipe type: Dips and sauces
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: makes about 350g of pesto
Ingredients
  • 2 cups radish leaves, washed with any woody stems removed
  • 35g grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup roasted unsalted almonds
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled
  • 2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Place all items except for salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and pulse until the desired consistency is reached.  I like my pesto quite thick, so I start with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, knowing I can always add a third later if it is too thick (but it's much harder to fix a pesto that's too runny!).  As you can see, I also like my pesto quite chunky, but if you like it smoother, keep pulsing.
  2. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary. Store in the fridge in an airtight container, or freeze your pesto if you want to keep it for longer - it freezes beautifully.
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  1. Elizabeth says

    August 14, 2014 at 11:09 am

    A very interesting and well written post. I remember over a decade ago the only time my my mother came to visit me in the UK I was chopping up garlic for that night’s dinner. She asked me, “What’s that?”. She’d no idea! I think things are changing over the generations, sometimes better, sometimes worse. My own children certainly know what garlic is, and how to pod broad beans (they love that job!) and where much of their food comes from (I hope!).

    Reply
  2. Jacqueline Meldrum says

    August 14, 2014 at 12:06 pm

    I do love homemade pesto, although I tend to use cashews in mine instead of pine nuts. It really changes the flavour.

    Radishes however are really underused in my kitchen, but at least I can identify them. What shocking results. There are lots of Farm to Fork initiatives here in Scotland, where children visit farms and cook with fresh produce. I can now see how invaluable that is.

    Reply
  3. Fede says

    August 14, 2014 at 12:08 pm

    Wow I would never have guessed…! what an interesting one.. I might try.

    Have you ever tried anything with carrot leaves? I buy them in bunches and they have so many leaves but they taste really bitter 🙂

    Reply
  4. Sarah Pipilini says

    August 14, 2014 at 12:53 pm

    Hi LovePetal!

    Just a quick ruse to mention that ive tried many carrot tops!

    They are just as tangy and juicy when young but get crusty as they age!!

    Mixing and squeezing some nuts in definitely does improve the overall experience though!

    Especially on their crackers!!

    Love and kisses!!

    Reply
  5. Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says

    August 14, 2014 at 1:00 pm

    I very, very rarely eat radishes but I always enjoy them – don’t think I’ve ever tried the leaves! Love this idea, and I love how you served it simply on crispbreads 🙂 delish!

    Reply
  6. Matt says

    August 14, 2014 at 1:20 pm

    Love Peter’s Yard Crisp breads. Great with cheese 😛
    They also just lend themselves to being photographed with their lovely textures.

    Will need to give this recipe a try, thanks Jeanne!

    Reply
  7. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says

    August 14, 2014 at 2:03 pm

    I love this twist on pesto. Very creative!
    It has reminded me that I don’t use radishes enough in my cooking.

    Reply
  8. Rosa says

    August 14, 2014 at 2:18 pm

    A tasty pesto! Radish greens are so delicious and versatile.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  9. Deena kakaya says

    August 14, 2014 at 2:37 pm

    How clever- I love a bit of sweet heat x

    Reply
  10. Sally - My Custard Pie says

    August 14, 2014 at 4:36 pm

    Radishes were the first crop I grew in my childhood garden but thought the leaves were prickly and inedible. So interested to taste radish leaf pesto – saving this for when the farmers market starts again.

    Reply
  11. Stuart Vettese says

    August 14, 2014 at 8:46 pm

    What a great idea – I wonder what other vegetable leaves could be put to good use too?

    Reply
  12. Fish Fingers for tea says

    August 14, 2014 at 10:20 pm

    I love this post Jeanne. I’ve tried hard to make sure Izzy knows where her food comes from, and she does, though her shouts of ‘Look! Dead pig’ in the bacon aisle in the supermarket can earn us some strange looks.

    I love the sound of the pesto. I like radishes but I don’t think I’ve ever used their tops before, I must rectify!

    Reply
  13. Rosana hot&chilli food blog says

    August 14, 2014 at 11:17 pm

    I would never had guessed! Clever I like the idea of no food waste.
    Hope you save some for me. 😉

    Reply
  14. Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) says

    August 15, 2014 at 7:41 am

    Fascinating statistics and a wonderful recipe. This summer in France I have been acutely aware of how “real” their fruits and veggies look (even in the supermarket) compared to our perfect versions and it’s just so refreshing to see things like radishes sold with their tops (and carrots too). The problem is that many people (me included) don’t know what to do with the weird bits and bobs – like any food-related issue, education is the way forward. I plan on incorporating some of these more unusual parts of the veggies in my cooking classes this year!

    Reply
  15. Jonker - Firefly says

    August 19, 2014 at 9:06 am

    I don’t know why but I’m just not a big fan of pestos. Sorry.

    Reply
  16. Clementine Buttercup says

    August 21, 2014 at 9:54 am

    My kids always confuse chicken goujons with fish goujons. They prefer the latter so I only correct them after they’ve eaten. Bad mum! They always seem surprised when we tell them which animal various meats come from. I get loads of ooooohs!

    Reply
  17. Karen Joanne says

    August 21, 2014 at 10:23 am

    What an interesting idea! This pesto sounds delicious! Until I can start my long awaited vege patch I’ll have to keep dreaming!

    Reply
  18. Nazima, franglais kitchen says

    August 21, 2014 at 12:42 pm

    what gorgeous pictures – like most people I am guilty of not thinking to use the green tops of root vegetables like this. Must try this and your garlicky radish greens recipe.

    Reply
  19. Jeff @ Cheese-burger.net says

    August 21, 2014 at 2:19 pm

    This very delicious radish leaf pesto makes me want to grow my own radishes.

    Reply
  20. Krista says

    August 22, 2014 at 1:28 am

    I was just wishing this week for ideas of what to do with my bumper crop of radish greens, and here is your post!! 🙂 I’m so very thankful to live in the country now with such a close connection to the ground, to the food I eat.

    Reply
  21. Katie Zeller says

    August 24, 2014 at 6:55 pm

    And sometimes, when the weather doesn’t cooperate, one gets all tops and no radishes LOL.
    Interesting about the lack of knowledge among kids…. And apparently a lack of curiosity about what they eat….

    Reply
  22. Meeta says

    August 27, 2014 at 1:39 pm

    You know I get the same from the cashier’s at the supermarket quite often too. Artichokes become green apples and papayas become pumpkins. My mum adds radish greens to her spinach or stuffs parathas with them so I have grown up learning to use them. I do not think I have ever made pesto out of the leaves though. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      August 28, 2014 at 3:54 pm

      The mind boggles! You’d think there might be a basic produce identification course before you can work the checkout… but apparently not. Do try the pesto – I love its fresh taste!

      Reply
  23. Margot @ Coffee & Vanilla says

    May 29, 2015 at 5:26 pm

    Oh, that sounds and looks amazing Jeanne! I have never tried radish greens except for those little bits that sometimes are left on radishes… Intrigued! 🙂

    Reply
  24. melanie behm says

    July 9, 2018 at 8:49 pm

    At an earlier post I read they left out the garlic and cheese before freezing and others as well as yourself don’t mention that. Is there a reason for this? Thank you

    Reply
    • Jeanne Horak says

      July 12, 2018 at 12:58 pm

      Hi Melanie – some people say the flavour of the garlic and the parmesan changes if you freeze it but I have never found this to be enough of an issue to freeze the pesto without the cheese and garlic and then to have the faff of adding them later. So I think it is a matter of personal taste rather than an absolute rule 🙂

      Reply
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

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