Wild Garlic Pesto- Foraged and Vegan!

Wild garlic is a relatively new thing to me, it doesn’t grow in Australia, and here in the UK it isn’t particularly celebrated although it’s a really common woodland plant.

I made its acquaintance a few years ago in Germany, and thought it was one of those cool German/ Northern European foods that I would just have to savour when on the continent as I had never seen it around here in London.

But then I spied it here in the UK too, I think I may have seen an article in The Guardian about foraging for it…and then I found ridiculously overpriced bunches of it at a farmers market and knowing a bit about it, decided to research it a bit further… It was said to be really easy to forage for, in woods, where bluebells are and near streams. Which we have plenty of in our patch of forest. So, off I went for a spring walk. Up, and down, poking my nose around all the likely areas.. Nope.

Nope.

None. None over there..

None over under that bit of wood

None… no wild garlic. WHY???? 

Why had I not found any I moaned,  WHYYYY!!!! ….

Moan moan moan…

So I bought that overpriced bunch at the market, and was the stinkiest person on the tube on the way home….  and  then made pesto out of it, leaving the pretty flower buds and a few leaves in a vase, justifying the expensive bunch by getting it to do double duty as decoration. 

And it is a pretty plant, with little white starry flowers and glossy green leaves…and quite a distinctive aroma. 

A few days later, The Gardener & I were walking home from work, up the hill, a hill I walk up every day, and past a little wood that leads into the forest. And he said ” look at all those pretty white flowers carpeting the forest floor over there.” and then he said….

“Hang on! They look like the wild garlic flowers you have in the vase on the kitchen table”

And promptly scrambled through the undergrowth..

And dear reader.. It is the most enormous patch of wild garlic.

Less than 100 metres from my house.

I was walking past them EVERY DAY!

So… Now I have a super supply of springs yummiest allium, what am I going to do with them??  

Well. First of all, pesto. Pesto is brilliant- it can   be used in so many things, and best of all-  This pesto is super easy to make, AND  is dairy free. I guessed the quantities a bit, but this should make you a good jar full.

All you need to do is slick a thin layer of olive oil over the top to help preserve it  and pop it in the fridge ready to swirl into pasta, spread on sandwiches or use to create a tangy salad dressing. 

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Wild Garlic Pesto

Prep Time

15 mins

 

Author: Louise-Claire Cayzer

Ingredients

• 2 big handfuls wild garlic- stems included!
• 75 g pine nuts
• 2 Tbs nutritional yeast
• Maldon or Kosher Salt
• 2-3 Tbs Olive oil

Instructions

1. Make sure you wash, then wash again the wild garlic as there will be gritty bits, and no one wants gritty pesto
2. Shove everything in a food processer and blitz.
3. Stop every now and then and scrape down the sides of the processer
4. Blitz until smooth- taste for salt
5. Transfer to a glass jar & add a bit of olive oil over the top
6. Keep in the fridge and use in everything!

Recipe Notes

Nutritional Yeast is a cheesy flavoured sprinkle that is made from a strain of yeast that is grown on molasses. It's really high in B vitamins and makes a great alternative to parmesan cheese to sprinkle.