At last summer is here! The sun has come out and you can finally, safely, leave your coat at home. All those months of waiting have finally come to an end and you just can’t ever imagine the snow of winter or it ever getting dark by 3.

I love seeing leaves bud in Spring and watching with anticipation as everything turns from grey/brown to that vivid green that only new life brings. But Summer, oh you just can’t beat Summer!

The long, warm evenings that never seem to end. The sudden urge to spend every waking second outside. That bite into the first Strawberry of the year. Oh Summer, why must you ever leave?

The warm weather of course brings plenty of new season vegetables to enjoy. June has brought us through the hungry gap and I’ve been indulging in broad beans, cucumber, chard, radishes and have even had my first courgette of the year. New season carrots are now also on the menu and I’ve been enjoying that juicy, sweetness that had started to disappear from those remaining stragglers from last season. Not only are the first carrots of the season super tasty and crunchy, they come with lovely leafy tops that look too good just to throw away.

Last year I began to resent throwing these leafy tops away each week so came up with a pesto recipe to use them in. Whilst I still add in a little basil for flavour, I love this pesto recipe and I put it on everything from toast to salads. For me, things always taste better when you know you’ve put every last morsel to good use. As my Mum always says, waste not, want not.

Carrot top pesto

Make the pesto as soon as you get your carrots home when the leaves are fresh. It can be stored it an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. I drizzle a layer of olive oil over the top to keep it at its best. Have it with pasta or stirred through potatoes, in a salad or with fried mushrooms on delicious homemade soda bread.

Carrot tops from one bunch of carrots
Small handful of basil leaves
3 tbsp pine nuts
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 – 3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

• Toast the pine nuts on a medium-high heat in a dry frying pan. Stir frequently to avoid burning. When they begin to brown, remove from the heat and set aside.
• Remove the leaves from the main stalks and rinse thoroughly.
• Blend the leaves in a food processor with the garlic until they are finely chopped.
• Add in the toasted pine nuts and olive oil and blend again.
• Finely add in the nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and blend together, taste and add in a little more olive oil if necessary.

Spelt soda bread

250g spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
150ml non-dairy milk (or mix together 75ml each of non-dairy yogurt and milk)
A good pinch of salt

• Weigh out the flour in a large mixing bowl, stir in the baking powder and salt.
• Slowly pour in the milk or yogurt/milk mix and combine to form a firm but slightly wet dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean surface, gently need for just a few seconds to bring the dough together.
• Using your fingers press the dough out to form a flattish circle then fold the edges into the centre, in turn to form a round.
• Turn the dough over and gently press down to around 2cm thick.
• Place onto a baking tray or stone and coat with flour ,then score the loaf to make a deep cross.
• Bake at 180C for around 20 mins until lightly browned and it sounds hollow when you turn it over and tap the base.

Mushrooms on toast with carrot top pesto

Serves 2

3 large portobello mushrooms
2-3 heaped tsp carrot top pesto
4-5 slices of soda bread
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

• Fry the mushrooms in a little olive oil on a medium heat until the water release and they start to brown.
• Meanwhile lightly toast the bread under the grill.
• Stir the pesto into the mushrooms and add a little extra olive oil.
• Add a little extra salt and pepper if needed.
• Spoon the mushrooms onto the toast and serve hot.

Enjoy your carrot top pesto and the sunshine!

Amy x