April 2021 Recipe of the Month

Mar 23, 2021 | Sustainable Blackawton, Sustainable Recipe of the Month

Sustainable Blackawton Recipes 2021
Over the coming year the Sustainable Blackawton group will share a
monthly recipe using seasonal ingredients that are available to
forage or are sold at the Blackawton village shop. You can support
your community shop and reduce your food miles. It’s a win win! We
hope you enjoy making this recipe and adapting it to the seasonally
available ingredients.
Recipe No. 3 Wild Garlic Pesto
Wild garlic grows in woodlands and on shady banks. It is widely
available around Blackawton. Look up some images online to make
sure you are picking the right leaves, its distinct garlic fragrance
should make identification easy.
Ingredients
• 100g wild garlic
• 50g grated Parmesan/Pecorino or Grano Padano
• 50g hazelnuts, skinned and toasted or you can use pine nuts, cashew nuts or walnuts
• extra virgin olive oil
• lemon juice, to taste
• salt and pepper
Stores for up to two weeks in the fridge. Makes 1 large jar.
Timings: 10 – 15 mins preparation
Method:
1. Wash and sort through your foraged wild garlic. Dry leaves well and place in a food
processor, blitz until fairly well broken up
2. Next add your cheese and process further, this will help to break down the garlic
leaves.
3. Add your toasted nuts and olive oil to your desired consistency
4. Season your pesto with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Serving suggestions and seasonal variations:
This is delicious with pasta, or as a topping for soups and stews. You can swap the wild
garlic for fresh basil, or add a mixture of fresh soft green herbs such as parsley, marjoram,
tarragon to make a variety of green sauces. Herb and garlic pesto’s go well with grilled
vegetables or fish or on roasted chicken or pork or simply added to mayonnaise to spice
up a sandwich or salad.
Other ways to store wild garlic to use throughout the year:
Wild Garlic Butter – follow step 1 above and add softened butter, salt and pepper to
taste. Combine well and shape into a roll between baking paper or clingfilm. Slice up and
store in the freezer to use whenever you need to add flavour to your cooking.
Wild Garlic Oil – wash and dry the garlic leaves, roughly chop and add to a bottle of olive
oil. Leave for a week or two rotating the bottle every day or so. Strain the leaves using a
muslin or through a cotton lined sieve and pour into a sterilised bottle. Drizzle over pizza
or soups, use in marinades or salad dressings.
Recipes by: Felicity Bellamy and Helen Gray