One of my favourite foods at this time of year is wild garlic (Allium ursinum). As the name suggests, it is a member of the onion family. It has long history of being a traditional food and herbal remedy. Some of it's common names, such as bear's leech indicating the brown bears enjoy it also. Wild boar also find it tasty.
It is typically found growing in moist woodland areas, and is one of the first plants to grow again after Winter, taking advantage of extra light before the trees sprout their leaves and shade out the forest floor again.
When harvesting wild garlic for yourself, you have to be careful not to confuse it with the toxic Lily of the Vale. However, the differences they are quite clear if you learn them.
After collecting the leaves, wash them down and remove any insects or other unwanted plant material. The earlier you collect them in the season, you will have less of the unwanted additions.
Then you start chopping the leaves to make the blending processes easier.
For the pesto I use the typical pesto ingredients:
- parmesan cheese
- nuts
- olive oil
- salt
- citric acid / lemon juice
The process starts becomes messy as you progressively blend batches of the leaves with the other ingredients. The main reason being, a good deal of oil is required to lubricate the ingredients in the blender (food processor).
You need to have your clean and sterilized jars and lids ready and handy to pour the pesto into and seal the lids.
The process is simple if a bit messy by the end.
If sealed correctly, I've had the pesto last up to a year or longer in refrigeration.
How you use the pesto is up to your imagination. Use it anywhere that a strong garlic flavour is appropriate.
Enjoy!