Eating Weeds

Wild pesto time! The idea may utterly horrify you, but your yard may be chock full of organic, healthy weeds that can be used to make delicious pesto.

In my case, it’s invasive garlic mustard. The stuff has taken over fields and forest edges to an utterly astonishing speed. So I was delighted to learn not long ago that not only is it safe to eat* but that it’s actually good to use as much of it as possible.

*I know you know, but always check with an experienced forager to make certain!

So having learned that it was A) safe and B) which parts are safe and C) having looked up recipes, I went wild. In this case, weed-wild.

I cut a large bowl full of tender wild garlic mustard. I actually pulled them up by the roots—super easy, keeping the roots at one end of my basket and the tops at another. Cut off the roots. I did that on the side of the deck, tossing them into my handy compost bin (an old trash can with a cracked bottom for drainage.)

Swish the leaves in water if you like—mine were clean enough to use straight away—and pack them into a food processor. Pour in a good measure of olive oil, a couple of bulbs of garlic, and process them until the consistency you like your pesto.

Add nuts if you like: pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds.

Spoon over freshly-cooked pasta. Add sautéed shrimp or scallops if you want a protein. Top with grated cheese, salt to tast and eat your way to better health. Those ‘weeds’ are loaded with great vitamins and minerals—and they’re free!

Update: as the invasive garlic mustard got more prevalant each year, I started making pesto and freezing it for winter use. No need to cook anything: just put the pesto mix in a freezer bag and defrost when you need it. Use over pasta, add to soups for flavor, spread on crusty bread. Yum!

If you have a weed local to your area that you enjoy for cooking, please leave a note in the comments, along with any recommendations.

(originally posted 4/5/21)