There are still plenty of snowdrops through the woodlands, and daffodils are beginning to appear, and while I can find things to photograph in the garden (see Saturday's post), there is really not enough to pick yet. So, the shiny, fresh green leaves of wild garlic, appearing in nearby woodland, beckoned for today's vase.
On our dog walk I picked just enough to make some wild garlic pesto, which I think is delicious. I thought I would share my recipe with you - see below. I think it is wonderful with roast lamb, pasta (of course), as a dip served with raw vegetables, or generously dolloped on top of a bowl of minestrone. Yum!
I have included a tiny glass bottle with snowdrops, just because I love them, and currently they share the woodland floor with the wild garlic.
Wild garlic pesto
2 large handfuls freshly picked wild garlic leaves
50g shallots, spring onions or leeks
50 g shelled walnuts (or mixed nuts)
200 ml mild olive oil, sunflower oil or rapeseed oil – 150ml for the pesto, 50ml for sealing mixture
50 – 60g mature hard cheese (Quick’s goats cheese, Parmesan or similar cheese), finely grated
half – 1 tspn sea salt
half tspn sugar
Discard any coarse stalks, and pick over to remove any stray bits of grass and other leaves. Wash only if picked from the roadside.
Place in food processor along with the nuts, shallot and 150 ml oil. Blitz until everything is finely chopped.
Fold in the grated cheese, salt and sugar.
If storing in the fridge for a day or two, put in a screwtop jar, pouring the remaining olive oil on top, to seal the surface. Stir the oil into the pesto when you come to use.
On our dog walk I picked just enough to make some wild garlic pesto, which I think is delicious. I thought I would share my recipe with you - see below. I think it is wonderful with roast lamb, pasta (of course), as a dip served with raw vegetables, or generously dolloped on top of a bowl of minestrone. Yum!
I have included a tiny glass bottle with snowdrops, just because I love them, and currently they share the woodland floor with the wild garlic.
Wild garlic pesto
2 large handfuls freshly picked wild garlic leaves
50g shallots, spring onions or leeks
50 g shelled walnuts (or mixed nuts)
200 ml mild olive oil, sunflower oil or rapeseed oil – 150ml for the pesto, 50ml for sealing mixture
50 – 60g mature hard cheese (Quick’s goats cheese, Parmesan or similar cheese), finely grated
half – 1 tspn sea salt
half tspn sugar
Discard any coarse stalks, and pick over to remove any stray bits of grass and other leaves. Wash only if picked from the roadside.
Place in food processor along with the nuts, shallot and 150 ml oil. Blitz until everything is finely chopped.
Fold in the grated cheese, salt and sugar.
If storing in the fridge for a day or two, put in a screwtop jar, pouring the remaining olive oil on top, to seal the surface. Stir the oil into the pesto when you come to use.
Gathering foodstuff from the wild has never been part of my experience except through reading. I'm sure this pesto is delicious. The snowdrops are lovely and it must be special to see them growing in the woodlands.
ReplyDeleteI was suspicious of the wild garlic leaves at first, especially nibbled on their own, raw - thought they were horrid! But this is a good recipe and easy to make, and delicious! Give it a go, if you come across any wild garlic over the next few weeks. It won't be around for long! A
DeleteFlowers and recipes....great. Thanks for reminding us to get some very local pesto made.
ReplyDeleteI love a bit of foraging! Something delicious and seasonal, for free, is a bit of a no brainer! A
DeleteThe Golfer calls himself 'garlic intolerant' but would still be very suspicious if I tried to give him somethng with wild garlic in it - shame, as we have more than enough of it in the garden! Interesting seeing pesto with different nuts - I really might try this, even if only for me, so thanks for sharing it. And lovely to see your snowdrops too!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the leaf would be less reactive for your husband than an actual garlic clove. Do give it a go! It's so good and only available during the wild garlic season! I have just finished washing up after using all those leaves to make a generous bowl of pesto to have with some roast lamb tomorrow. Looking forward to it already! A
DeleteI've never heard of wild garlic, much less seen it, and given that the species doesn't even appear in my garden book for the western US, I'm guessing it doesn't grow here. It's an attractive plant and the pesto has to be a bonus!
ReplyDeleteIt runs rampant through our woodlands here at this time of year Kris. In due course there will be a white flower. An onion flower of course, because this is an allium. You may find the plant listed as ransoms, Allium ursine. It is a delicious, bonus ingredient and generally not found for sale, except maybe in a veg box! Yum! A
DeleteOh well foraged Amanda 😆 Our snowdrops are over for another year so it's good to be still able to enjoy seeing them. We have an excellent source of wild garlic when we are up at our caravan in the Lake District, where it grows in profusion along the verges of the road in the local village.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna! Yes, still enjoying snowdrops - just! I hate when they are faded because they really are such joyful, hopeful flowers to see as we move towards the end of winter. And this winter seems to have been endless! Lots of wild daffodils in the Lake District too I wonder? A
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