Wild garlic pesto

Spring

The first shoots of wild garlic usually appear in March and look like brilliant-green spear tips piercing the land. When I see them, I know spring is really here, which can sometimes feel like a relief. Wild garlic, or ramsons, as they are also known, seem to grow well around the edges of woods or down by streams where the light is often dappled and gentle and the earth is damp. If you get a chance to gather some garlic leaves, they make a really intense pesto that will keep long after the garlic has flowered and gone to seed.

Serves 8

Ingredients

100g (3½oz) hazelnuts
350g (12oz) wild garlic leaves
100g (3½oz) hard sheep’s cheese, finely grated
About 150ml (5fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to seal
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Place the hazelnuts in a small pan and set over a medium heat. Toast for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan every so often so the nuts toast evenly. Tip out onto a clean cotton cloth or tea towel, fold over the corners to envelop the hazelnuts, then rub them vigorously to loosen the skins. Set aside.

Place the wild garlic leaves in the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly to break down the leaves. You’ll probably need to stop the machine so you can remove the lid and encourage the leaves down towards the blade. Once the leaves are coarsely chopped, add the peeled, toasted hazelnuts and pulse again. Now add the cheese and the olive oil and pulse again until you reach the desired texture. Season the pesto generously with salt and pepper to taste and adjust the consistency with more olive oil as you like.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the pesto out into a large jar. Tap the jar on the work surface to help settle the pesto then trickle over a thin layer of olive oil to seal. Fasten the lid and store in the fridge, where it will keep for several weeks.

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