Wild Garlic

The local woods are carpeted in swathes of bluebells and are looking spectacular, it is always lovely to see the slow change in seasons and what wild food nature provides throughout the year.

Pungent wild garlic, otherwise known as Ramsons, are flourishing so this month I have been foraging in order to make Wild Garlic Pesto. Whilst the whole plant is edible, it is the young leaves that have the best flavour (they can even be eaten raw or added to salads).

This year Ive adapted this recipe from Sarah Ravens Garden Cookbook: For every 100g of wild garlic leaves…

200ml olive oil
50 pine nuts or walnuts
50g parmesan
Pepper and salt
Splash of lemon juice or rice wine vinegar

Blanch the leaves in boiling water for 10 seconds then cool and dry them quickly. Then whizz the leaves with the oil, nuts and lemon juice until smooth, then add the parmesan (grated) and season.

Hey presto, it’s pesto.

IF the taste of wild garlic is too strong you could always substitute its cousin, Three Cornered Leeks (also in the allium family) instead, which again are found in abundance in the hedgerows and woods of South Devon.

Slight disclaimer: As always with foraging please be careful that you are picking the right plant to avoid poisoning yourself!

Happy Foraging!