Back-to-School

I have noticed that my posts don't go out on the same day they are written.  I hope I have timed today's (Tuesday!) to arrive to you Tuesday morning.  This post is a celebration of the fantastic summer we have had; beautiful weather, bountiful garden, slower pace and time to recharge without busy schedules to keep.

In an attempt to preserve the last day of summer holidays, I made Nasturtium Pesto with some of this season's bounty from our garden. The leaves, flowers, stems and seeds of the plant are all edible and make a peppery, if you could taste summer-in-a-jar it would taste like this pesto!
The Nasturtium is an amazing plant.  Not only is it completely edible, but it grows easily even in poor soil, it's flowers are rich in vitamin C and iron and it is medicinally known by herbalists to be effective in treating respiratory illnesses and infection. This tiny, garden superhero is also a protective companion plant to grow nestled amongst your vegetables as it releases an air-borne chemical that repels insects that might otherwise harm the plant and others all while still attracting both hummingbirds and bees!
The original recipe can be found here.  Mine after various tweeks below.

Gather, wash and dry:
4 cups of nasturtium leaves
2 cups of nasturtium flowers
a sprig each of basil and parsley and place in your blender with:
1 cup of walnuts (substitute roasted pepitas if you have a nut allergy)
1 cup of parmesan
6 cloves of garlic and
1 1/2 cups olive oil add salt and pepper to taste and a little splash or two of Tabasco if you like.
Blend until smooth.  Will keep in the fridge in a glass jar for about 2 weeks.  I also poured some in small round containers to freeze, pop out and store in a Ziplock for later use when the winter blues hit!

Today's post would not be complete without a shout out to all the amazing teachers we know and love. I hope you can feel the good vibes going out to you this morning! Sending love and light your way today as you begin another year of learning with your students. "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy and creative expression in knowledge." Albert Einstein

We have all had those deeply affecting teachers who have influenced us in such an indelible way that it becomes part of who we are and how we in turn influence others... For more inspiration, watch this TED talk shared with me by one of  those very teachers.  It is no surprise to me that she uses this as her mantra to fuel the start of each school year anew. For the "legacy of relationships" you and others like you leave the world... Thank-you "for seeing the awesome" Happy first day of school!