An excellent item for your storecupboard, pesto is great for using up gluts of produce. This recipe is perfect for using up any forgotten peas in the freezer, and it is a real taste of summer, which I hanker for in the winter. It is delicious with pasta, adding a real depth of flavour.

1. Cook the peas in a pan of boiling water for 2–3 minutes, until just tender, then drain and refresh in cold water. Drain again and pat dry.
2. Tip the peas into a blender or food processor and add the remaining ingredients. Pulse very briefly, until everything is roughly chopped. Don’t overdo it – the mixture should still have some texture.
3. To store, put into a tightly lidded container, cover the surface with a little more olive oil and store in the refrigerator for 1 week, or freeze in plastic food bags for up to 1 month.

The Great Dixter Cookbook is published by Phaidon £24.95. Wealden Times readers can buy it with a 30% discount and free UK shipping, using the code DX30 at phaidon.com/dixter offer open until 25 June 2018.

Aaron Bertelsen is appearing at The Garden Hub at the Wealden Times Midsummer Fair.