Go Wild!

WILD GARLIC PESTO

Wild Garlic Pesto.  Makes 1 small jar

​50g wild garlic leaves, washed

30g pinenuts, lightly toasted

30g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 clove garlic, crushed

100ml olive oil, plus extra to cover

Good squeeze of lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

​WILD GARLIC is a real treasure to be found at this time of year. The younger the leaves, the better.. Certainly try to pick them before they flower – after this the flavour becomes fainter and less aromatic.
See picture below for perfect picking size!

The picked leaves wilt very quickly so either use them as soon as you get home or keep them covered in the fridge.

This recipe is approximate; scale up or down depending on your taste.


The simplest method is to put everything except the oil in a food processor, blitz for a few seconds, then continue to whiz while slowly adding the olive oil through the funnel.
Transfer to a jar, pour sufficient olive oil on top to keep the pesto covered, close the lid and store it in the fridge. It will keep for several weeks.
If you prefer a coarser texture, (I do) blitz the elements individually (cheese, then nuts, then garlic and wild garlic together) Blend the oil into the greens, as above, then stir in the nuts and cheese at the end. Top with a layer of oil, as before.

---