Wild garlic, dandelion flower and brazil nut pesto recipe

Spring is such a rich time of year, with so many wild foods at our finger tips. Every year, I make wild garlic pesto until i’m absolutely sick of it or until it disappears, and I am forever on the hunt for exciting variations. The latest addition to my pesto is dandelion flower, which adds a slightly sweet bitterness. I know that sounds strange but the flowers hold both a sweet and bitter quality, unlike other parts of the plant such as the leaves and roots, which are much more bitter. These flowers help to cleanse the hollow organs such as the stomach, intestinal tract, gall bladder, bladder, luncgs, uterus and heart, and their sunny colour adds a lovely tinge of yellow running through the green pesto.

INGREDIENTS

1 good handful/bunch of wild garlic

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil

1/4 cup (32g)brazil nuts or walnuts

4 dandelion flowers and stems

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Sprinkle of sea salt

METHOD

Place the wild garlic in a food processor along with the garlic cloves, olive oil, lemon juice, dandelion flowers and sea salt. Pulse until reasonably smooth.

Then add the nuts and pulse, leaving a little texture.

Taste and add more seasoning as required.