Versatile and full of flavor
Another delicious way to use fresh wild garlic is to make pesto with it. This can then be used with pasta or in a risotto.
What is wild garlic pesto?
The wild garlic pesto will keep in the refrigerator for a few days and can be used as needed.
Make Your Own Wild Garlic Pesto
Ingredients for Wild Garlic Pesto
There are many ways to make wild garlic pesto. Basically, making pesto is quick and easy. Here’s a recipe for you that uses mostly local ingredients.
Of course, we’ll need fresh wild garlic, canola oil, sunflower seeds, and a hard cheese.
Optionally, you can add a little parsley and salt.
Ingredients:
50 g fresh wild garlic
40 g sunflower seeds
40 g grated hard cheese (e.g., Parmesan)
50 ml canola oil
20 g parsley (optional)
Salt (optional)Preparation:
First, toast the sunflower seeds in a pan. Be careful not to let them burn. Let the toasted seeds cool.
Wash the wild garlic and dry it thoroughly (there should be no water left on the leaves, as this can affect the shelf life of the pesto).
Now place the wild garlic, the seeds, and the grated Parmesan in a food processor and purée them together with a little oil until smooth. If you’d like to add parsley, go ahead and add it now. Parsley makes the pesto a bit more vibrant in color and tones down the sharpness.
Add enough canola oil until the mixture becomes thick. I always add relatively little oil.
Now you can transfer the pesto to clean jars and cover it with canola oil. This way, the wild garlic pesto will keep for several days, up to 2 weeks.
Culinary Uses
Wild garlic pesto can be used in many dishes as a seasoning or a main ingredient.
with pasta
in risotto
with asparagus
on bread or bruschetta
as a seasoning for grilled foodsNote on Shelf Life
Wild garlic contains water, so bacteria can grow if it is stored at room temperature.
Therefore, always store it in the refrigerator and use it promptly. Always keep the pesto completely covered with oil; this will extend its shelf life.
