Ngāhere Pesto Recipe

The beauty of this pesto is that you can use any soft herb, even pūhā and watercress. Photo / Christall Lowe

This recipe from Christall Lowe’s new book Kai Feast is seasonal, so fresh (and so versatile).

I first made pesto when I had an explosion of basil and parsley in the garden one year. Not content to let it all go to seed, I blitzed up jars and jars of it, and gave it away to anyone who came through the door, as well as to pretty much everyone in the community. The beauty of pesto is that you can use any soft herb or green, even pūhā and watercress, and a whole range of nuts or seeds, meaning you can use what you have on hand.

Kai Feast: Food Stories & Recipes From The Maunga To The Moana by Christall Lowe, $60, published by Bateman Books.

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