The Lazy Forager: #3 – Wild Garlic Pesto




Alright, so this may be a really obvious one... and also perhaps a not-so-lazy one! Chances are you don’t actually have wild garlic growing in your backyard or allotment and will therefore have to venture out into a woodlandy bit, possibly your local park, to find some of this delicious bounty. Well, be off I say, for it is worth it! Everything about this plant - from the emerging flower buds in March, to the lush green leaves in March/April, to the flowers in late April and the seedheads in May - is an absolute delight to the foraging garlic fiend.

Right now, in late spring, the leaves are out in their full glory and there’s a distinct wild garlic pesto aroma in the air! 

What you‘ll need for one good-sized jar of pesto (other variations on this rather random recipe are available!

- around 200g of wild garlic leaves (about half a tote bag)

- 100g of sunflower seeds (or pine nuts if you’re feeling rich)

- 100g of parmesan (or any extra mature cheddar you’ve got lying around)

- 150-250ml of olive oil

- salt and pepper to taste

Blitz it all up and enjoy! The pesto also freezes well if, like me, you tend to make too much in one go...
(Oh, and don't forget to pick some of the flowers for your salad, too!)


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