Once again, we went foraging for wild garlic this weekend. Having gathered a generous basketful, we decided to make a batch of wild garlic pesto. All of the ingredients were already in the kitchen so it was extremely quick to whip up. The boys were very pleased when they discovered that their supper had been growing in the woods just hours beforehand! The amazingly vibrant green of the pesto is testament to its freshness. This is the recipe that we used:
Wild Garlic Pesto
200g freshly picked wild garlic leaves
4 spring onions
150g cashew nuts
200ml olive oil, plus more for topping the jars
150g parmesan or grana padano cheese, grated
1 scant teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Good grinding black pepper
Sterilise 4 jam jars ( I use the dishwasher, although you can also sterilise in the oven).
Pick through the wild garlic, discarding any damaged leaves. Wash if required.
Place wild garlic, oil, spring onions and cashew nuts in a blender and blitz until finely chopped.
Fold in the cheese, salt and sugar and grind over some black pepper.
Spoon into the jars, leaving 3-4 cm free at the top of each jar. Tap jar and press down pesto with a spoon to prevent any air pockets. Swirl over some more olive oil to seal the surface.
Stir well before use, and if you return any to the fridge, be sure to re-cover the surface with olive oil to ensure that it stores well. The pesto will keep in the fridge for about 3 weeks, although it can also be frozen.
To serve, add a couple of tablespoons to hot pasta. It also works well spread over a joint of meat when roasting, or can be stirred into soups.
brilliant, thanks for the recipe x
This looks delicious! Will have to try it. Thanks for the recipe x
yum. I saw lots when out walking this morning, but didn’t have anything to put it in. a special foraging trip will be needed soon!
Just one word – yum!
Yum yum double yum 🙂
My sister uses almonds & rapeseed oil to save money. Hers is pretty spectacular. She grows her basil in the back garden… that’s NZ for you …
Thank you for the yummy recipe – I had never thought of sterilising jars in the dishwasher thanks for the tip x
Wow, that looks amazing…. I’m gonna have to give it a go. 🙂
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Great recipe! I used chives from my garden instead of spring onions, and added the juice of a lemon. Most will go in the freezer for later use.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
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Your recipe inspired me to run out to the woods and pick a bagful of wild garlic – they are full of it round here and I’ve often wanted to find a use for it. I now have several jars of yummy pesto which I’m about to hand out to loved ones. Having splodged a dollop of it on my pasta this evening, I can testify to its tastiness.
Hoorah! I am so glad to hear it!
Hello Laura, i have recently moved into a house in Torquay the garden is full of bluebells and what i thought were snowdrops, they have three sided stems and small white bulbs and smell of garlic, but the leaves are very narrow and thin, not at all like the wild garlic in the country lanes here. Is this a different type of wild garlic, thank you for any help you can give me. Yours sincerely Bruce
Hi Bruce, I’m afraid I don’t know. Could they be wild onions? I understand that those look similar to wild garlic. I haven’t come across them myself, though. Best wishes, Laura
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