Wild Spring Greens Pesto

Using edible "weeds" you likely have growing in your backyard (or nearby in the neighborhood), you can bring spring into your kitchen with this fresh pesto.

The base of this recipe is the invasive garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) which is ubiquitous here in Eastern Pennsylvania in early to mid-spring. 

To add dimension, I include another invasive, purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum). From the mint family, deadnettle is a highly nutritious superfood that tastes like a slightly sweet sage.

RECIPE

4 C Garlic Mustard leaves and flowers (rinsed and dried)

1 C Purple Deadnettle tops and leaves (rinsed and dried)

4-5 Wild Garlic Cloves (Can substitute 2-3 cloves of domesticated garlic)

1/2 C Walnuts

1/3 C Pine Nuts

3 oz Pecorino Romano (or hard cheese of choice)

2 Tbsp Mint-Infused Olive Oil

1 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

TO MAKE

1. Add all ingredients except olive oil to blender. Pulse.
2. Slowly pour olive oil into blender while other ingredients are pureeing.

Use your pesto to top off pasta, eggs, roasted potatoes and vegetables, crostini, sliced tomatoes, mozarella, soup and more.