April Harvest--Wild Garlic Pesto

This post is all about my latest harvest, wild garlic! Wild garlic, also known as ramsons or buckrams, is in season from early March to the end of May. It grows abundantly where I live, and so it was only natural for me to forage some while I was out on my walk. It has these beautiful little white flowers when they have bloomed, and so if you look out for those and the strong smell of garlic you might find some in your woods.

It's such a lovely ingredient to cook with as it works well in many different things. It has a subtle taste of garlic and is not too overwhelming. It definitely doesn't leave you with a garlic taste in your mouth all day...

It is lovely in an omelette, as a soup, a pesto, or even using the leaves as salad leaves. The first thing I made with it was some pesto, which keeps extremely well in the fridge for about a week. It also freezes very well. It's a great way to use up the wild garlic and then toss the pesto on some pasta, courgetti, or even as a side dish tossed over some warmed butter beans. I also used the wild garlic in some quinoa, cauliflower patties which was delicious for dinner (recipe to follow next...)















Below is my recipe for the pesto. If you leave out the parmesan it becomes vegan, and tastes incredible just like that, but for those that love the taste of parmesan simply add that in when you're making it.

Wild Garlic Pesto (v)(gf)
You will need:
100g pine nuts
100g wild garlic (large bunch)
4-5 tbsp olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
Salt and Pepper to taste
40g parmesan (optional)

Simply add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until it all comes together. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the consistency is too thick, add some water or a little more lemon juice. This is a very simple recipe, and should be used as a guide. Not all lemons are the same size or give the same amount of juice and some wild garlic will be more pungent than others, so taste and adjust to your liking!

Pour into a bowl or some jars and keep in the fridge for about a week. Alternatively you can freeze it in a little pot and defrost when you want to use it. This recipe makes about two little jars full.