Yesterday was the start of our holiday!  We close our office for two weeks every summer but this year we are holidaying at home.  As we only live a couple of minutes walk from the beach (and beach hut) it’s not too difficult to get into holiday mode.  So the next few weeks will be blog city as I will cooking down the hut every day if I can.

Yesterday at the hut we had the kids coming and going all day,  a trashy novel, good food and the odd cocktail thrown in; it works for me and I am one happy blogger.

I have been reading a lot lately about cooking with nasturtium flowers but read in a rather old herb book in my local library that you can eat the leaves too.  I have a plant in my garden so decided to give it a try.  The leaves are not dissimilar to the flowers which have a sweet peppery taste and are on my tasting tour every time I peg out the washing along with the blackberries.  I’m supposed to be saving those for blackberry gin.  I do try but they keep on calling me.

Mushroom and Nasturtium Leaves on Toast (serves 2)

1 tablespoon olive oil

300g mushrooms, sliced

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

about a tablespoon chopped parsley

5 young nasturtium leaves, rolled and sliced

In a pan heat up the oil and on a high heat, fry the mushrooms for about 2 minutes.  Lower the heat and add the garlic.  After a minute add the remaining ingredients and then remove from the heat while you butter up your toast.  Serve straightaway.

 You could put the nasturtium leaves in scrambled eggs or with cheese on toast.  Try them and let me know what you did with them.