Wild Garlic, Walnut, Cavalo Nero & Broccoli Pesto.
It’s still wild garlic and nettle season here in the UK, a great time to get out into the countryside, pick some and get them on your plate. Or better still, go to your local farmer’s market, if you have one, and they’ve likely done the job for you; thanks very much Queen’s Park Farmer’s Market (not an ad!).
I got creative last weekend and made a pesto that packs a nutrient punch.
Wild Garlic, Walnut, Cavalo Nero & Broccoli Pesto - you can’t get much greener than that!
I served mine with wild herb roasted chicken breast and balsamic roasted vine tomatoes & asparagus.
Make sure to save the white flowers that come with your wild garlic leaves (yes, they’re edible!) as a pretty topping for your dish that packs a deliciously garlicky punch.
Wild Garlic, Walnut, Cavalo Nero & Broccoli Pesto
Ingredients
- 100g Cavalo Nero
- 50g wild garlic leaves
- 50g walnuts
- 50g broccoli
- 30g fresh basil leaves
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2.5 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- pinch of Celtic sea salt
Instructions
- Cut the broccoli into small florets and steam until tender, set aside to cool.
- Toast the walnuts for 5-7mins in a pan over a medium heat. Stir frequently so as not to burn. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare a bowl of ice cold water. Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the Cavalo Nero and wild garlic by plunging the leaves into the boiling water for 10 seconds. Transfer straight to the bowl of ice cold water. Leave for a couple of minutes then drain and pat dry.
- Chop the broccoli, walnuts, cavaolo nero, wild garlic and basil into smaller pieces so they go through the blender more easily.
- Using a high-speed blender add the broccoli, cavalo nero, basil and wild garlic along with the olive oil, lemon juice, pinch of sea salt and nutritional yeast. Blend to a thick paste consistency.
- Finally, add the walnuts to the blender and, if necessary, a tablespoon of water to blend to your desired consistency.
- Store your pesto in a sealed jar in the fridge with a drizzled layer of olive oil on top.