When I was making this pesto, wild garlic was in season. Now, not so much. That's how long it's taken me to actually get around to writing this post. That's exam season for you -- I want to be making pesto, instead I'm studying skin diseases and traumatic wounds (and no, I wouldn't have it any other way!)Apparently, when wild garlic is in season, you can find it all over England on riverbanks and in woods. On the other hand, people have apparently died after mistaking wild garlic for another poisonous plant when out foraging, so I'm happy to let someone else do the picking. Yikes.
When I worked near Borough Market, wild garlic was available in big bins you could help yourself to, and I'd stop by and grab handfuls for dinner along with all the other lovely seasonal bits and bobs like English asparagus. I've managed to make a decent wild garlic hummus before, and this is my humble attempt at making a vegan wild garlic pesto.
Despite the name, wild garlic is more similar to chives rather than dry garlic in strength, so you can fill your face without repelling any vampires. That said, a little goes a long way - I managed to get enough for a bunch of spring vegetable pasta and some asparagus and potato salad out of it, with still a bit to spare. I've also been adding it to avocado sandwiches, and wondering if it wouldn't make a decent dip with a bit of mayo or yoghurt swirled in.
Apart from the rich garlickyness of the pesto, the look of it is gorgeous. It's the sort of green that I could happily paint my walls with. Hold the lemon juice til right before you use the pesto, or you'll lose a bit of that pretty colour.
I'm sending this to A2K A Seasonal Kitchen and The VegHog for May's Eat Your Greens challenge.
Wild garlic pesto
Makes a big pot
Ingredients
50g of wild garlic
50g of pine nuts, dry fried in a pan until golden
2tbsp of nutritional yeast
4 and a half tbsps of olive oil
Pinch of salt
Juice from quarter of a lemon
How you do it
Blend all the ingredients apart from the lemon juice together.
Add the lemon juice just before you use the pesto.
you can have your skin diseases and I will have the pesto! love it's glorious green - but am a bit curious as to why the lemon gets added just before you serve - I think lemon helps keep the green colour and often need it in there when tasting to get the balance of flavours right
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't know how to spot wild garlic so will definitely let others do the picking! I like the thought of foraging but sometimes it's better to imagine it rather than go in for the real thing (otherwise I might get one of those skin diseases by mistake) :)
ReplyDeleteY'know I don't think I've ever had wild garlic but I bet I'd love it.
ReplyDeleteI only discovered wild garlic this season at the farmer's market and I can't believe I've been missing out it for so many years!! It's the best!
ReplyDeleteNot sure if I've ever had wild garlic. I've had lots of garlic scapes but I think that's different. The garlic pesto sounds delicious and the exams time sounds strenuous. At least you have a good reason for cooking and blogging stoppages, unlike me.
ReplyDeleteThe color is soooo beautiful! I'm sure the taste matches the color. :-)
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