The ancient woodland to the South of Ragman’s Lane Farm, sloping down to the River Wye is a haven – gnarling trees, a floor of Beech leaves, Hart’s Tongue Ferns, Dog’s Mercury, Lords and Ladies, and a variety of Mosses, a stone pathway the route of the old tram, meandering, the promise of Bluebells, and suddenly, in the last week, the Ramsons… in abundance the leaves piercing out of the ground to colour the floor a vibrant pale green.
Tonight a dusk forage – the last few days we have been feasting on Pestos of young Nettle tops and today we decided to add the Wild Garlic to the concoction.
Cari blending...
(this can be done by hand, and has a lovely texture but for large numbers it is easier in a blender)
Nettle and Wild Garlic Pesto
Blend a bowlful of Nettles with the same of Ransoms (Wild Garlic) in Olive Oil and add Seasalt and toasted Sunflower Seeds (whole) for a Wild Green Vegan Pesto to serve on Pasta, bake into Breads, shake into Vinaigrette, spread on Toast… even eat by the spoonful!
Store pesto covered well in oil in an airtight jar, stores for at least six months.
Hi there, great blog and post about Wild Garlic, I've get loads growing in my garden and always on the look out for different uses so will give this recipe a whirl.
ReplyDeleteDanny aka Food Urchin
PS Sarah the Bray's Cottage Pie Queen put me onto your work ; )
Danny, Urchin of Food... do try the pesto and let me know what you think... for a more trad version use grated Parmesan and toasted Pine Nuts instead of sunflower seeds, and prep by hand to give it a lovely structure and texture. (My recipe is in this months Permaculture Magazine, but I dont have the exact quantities to hand)
ReplyDeleteLovely blog Olivia.. Sarah from Bray's Cottage has urged us to drag you kicking and screaming to Twitter.. I have posted this to Twitter with a plea for others to harangue you..
ReplyDeleteI suggest you get Twittered up in pure self defence!
Lynne
A Greedy Piglet
@josordoni
oho...to tweet!
ReplyDeleteI fear I may be a few months yet, but am polishing my beak in preparation/procrastination...
Twitter...all this nonsense about 'self-defence.' Discursive ramblings are what we love you for, La Bouffeuse. Do you remember a few years ago when the French launched a vigorous defence of the semi-colon and an attack on Orwellian, Anglo-Saxon brevity? Twitter has its uses, but not here. Longer posts, please.
ReplyDeleteAh OB, how you flatter, [la bouffeuse rougit]. indeed Flaubertian ramblings 'twill remain for the foreseeable present [la bouffeuse partage entierement ce sentiment]. (oh, had I but time) [La bouffeuse lamente].
ReplyDelete