Wild Garlic Pesto

A simple, full of flavour pesto made with in season wild garlic. Perfect for pastas, breads or to spread on sandwiches.

I have to honest. I have heard a lot about wild garlic and I have seen plenty on my trail runs and walks, but have never cooked with it. A few weeks ago I completed a Vegan cooking diploma and we used wild garlic in a few of the dishes. I was pleasantly surprised. It tastes fresh, almost a bit sweet when cooked, but with a deep garlic flavour.

I have since been eager to make a pesto with it. So, over the weekend I went foraging on our standard weekend 8 km walk (I knew exactly where to look as I have seen it there every year) and found a lovely hidden patch of wild garlic.

I didn't grow up with it, so before I wanted to make the pesto I did a bit of research. I even bought a foraging book from our local bookshop. For those of you who also don't know wild garlic, here is a bit of information:

WHAT IS WILD GARLIC

In spring wild garlic grows, well, as it suggests wild. Mostly in shady and damp conditions such as forests and woodlands. It has a fresh, yet garlicky smell.... Unmistakably garlicy. When in bloom they have delicate white flowers, which are so beautiful.

Wild garlic is milder in taste than bulb garlic and both its leaves and white flowers are edible.

Both can be eaten raw or cooked.

Green grocers and supermarkets do sell wild garlic when in season. But why pay the cost if you can forage it yourself.

TO MAKE THIS PESTO YOU WILL NEED

• wild garlic leaves, washed

• fresh basil leaves

• pumpkin seeds (or walnuts/pine nuts)

• nutritional yeast

• extra virgin olive oil

• a fresh lemon

• sea salt and black pepper to tastes

• pumpkin seeds

WAYS TO USE THIS PESTO

• Stir into soups

• Use as a sauce for pasta

• Make babka or pull apart bread, such as this one.

• Drizzle over potato salads

• Add a teaspoon to your salad dressing

• Add a dollop to your tofu scramble

• spread on flatbread

• add to your chickpea "tuna" mayo

• spread onto your sandwich

• or spread onto your toast, top with avocado slices and sprinkle with some chilli flakes and sea salt.

OTHER RECIPES TO TRY

vegan basil pesto pasta

red pesto

pea pesto pasta

pesto pull-apart bread

WILD GARLIC PESTO

A simple, full of flavour pesto. Perfect for pastas, breads or to spread on sandwiches.

Makes: a small jar

Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 50g wild garlic leaves, washed

• 10g fresh basil leaves

• 50g pumpkin seeds, toasted (or walnuts/pine nuts),

• 1 - 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 90 ml extra virgin olive oil

• juice from a fresh lemon

• sea salt and black pepper to tastes

• pumpkin seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If you are using raw, untoasted pumpkin seeds you can dry-roast them in a pan until they start to crack open a bit. Let them cool.

2. Add half the lemon juice and the rest of the ingredients, apart from the olive oil and salt and pepper to a blender or food processor and pulse until a rough paste.

3. Let the processor/ blender run and slowly add the olive oil.

4. Add seasoning, taste and adjust as needed. Add more lemon juice if needed

5. Store in an airtight jar or container in the fridge.

HAVE YOU MADE THIS?

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