Wild Garlic Pesto

wild-garlic-pestoWild garlic is back in season and Ripple Farm Organics in Kent are busy harvesting it from their shaded woodlands for us. Last year, I followed this recipe from River Cottage and made some deliciously flavourful wild garlic pesto. I either used it alone in all its garlicky glory, or I diluted it by mixing it with basil or parsley pesto for just a hint of that fragrant flavour. – Laura Jean

River Cottage say, “This spring pesto from is full of gutsy flavour and can be used with pasta, spread on crostini, served with crudités used in omelettes, swirled into soups and stews. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks – this recipe makes 5 x 200g jars, so any extra can easily be frozen in small containers so you can go wild with garlic throughout the year.”

 

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 100g freshly picked wild garlic leaves
  • 50g shallot, spring onions or leeks
  • 50g shelled walnuts
  • 200 ml olive oil, sunflower oil or rapeseed oil
  • 50-60g mature hard cheese (Quick’s goats cheese , Parmesan or similar hard, mature cheese), finely grated
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar

Directions:

Start by picking the leaves over and discarding any coarse stalks, damaged leaves or any stray pieces of grass (you don’t need to wash unless you’ve picked from road side verges). Place in food processor along with walnuts, shallot and 150 ml oil. Blitz for about a minute until the everything is finely chopped up. Fold in the grated cheese, salt and sugar Fill into clean sterilised jars to within 5-7 cm of the top of jar. Make sure you press down firmly with the back of a spoon to remove any pockets of air (trapped air can cause contamination) allowing sufficient room to swirl the remaining oil over the top of the pesto to seal the surface.

When you come to use the pesto, stir it well before spooning out. Make sure the surface of any pesto remaining in the jar is completely covered with oil before you return to the fridge. (this is very important if it is to keep well).

Thanks to www.laundryetc.co.uk for the image.