Wild garlic – known as ramsons, broad-leaved garlic or wood garlic is a wild relative of chives. It grows in deciduous woodlands with moist soils, preferring slightly acidic conditions. It flowers before deciduous trees leaf in the spring, filling the air with their characteristic garlic-like scent. Wild garlic grow plentifully especially in ancient woodland all over Ireland. Wild garlic pesto has appeared everywhere in recent years, so I decided to try and make some for myself. Making your own is easy and it is a wonderful alternative to the often dull shop bought jar of generic basil pesto. So go ahead and give it a try!
INGREDIENTS:
75g Wild garlic leaves
25g Pine nuts
1 Garlic clove, crushed and peeled
175ml Olive oil
40g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Salt
METHOD:
Take the freshly foraged wild garlic leaves and pick through it for small insects, rinse briefly and pat dry. Place the wild garlic leaves, pine nuts, garlic clove and olive oil in a blender, season with salt and blend until smooth. Remove to a bowl and fold in the grated parmesan cheese. Taste and season further if necessary.
Pour the pesto into a sterilised jar, seal and keep in the fridge. Use within three weeks, if you can make it last that long!
TO SERVE:
This pesto is good over pasta, bruschetta, salad leaves, chicken, as a pizza topping. Its uses are endless, just use your imagination. Enjoy......
No comments:
Post a Comment