Tinned Tomatoes: blender recipes

Wild Garlic and Basil Pesto with Baobab

If you follow me on Instagram you probably noticed my excitement on finding some wild garlic.

For years I've been looking enviously at other people's recipes for wild garlic, but I've never found any. I wasn't sure if I was unlucky or just useless at identifying it.

So how did I find it this time?

I have a dog!

Yep, that's it.

We were walking through the woods at the edge of our local country park when our mad dog bounded out of the burn and sat down right beside it. A whole field of the stuff. I had no idea!

When I got home, I gave it a good wash and blended it into the most delicious green pesto we enjoyed mixed through spaghetti. Simple but delicious.

So next time you're walking in woods, have a look beside burns (streams) for some wild garlic. When you smell it you'll know exactly what it is. Maybe you already know just where to find some.

In this recipe I used the wild garlic in place of garlic. I added olive oil, basil, salted cashew nuts, black pepper and baobab powder. You'll have noticed I add baobab to smoothies, but I also add baobab to pesto, hummus and pizza sauce. I like to add extra nutrients where I can.

I also added veggie parmesan. I usually make my pesto dairy-free, but Graham was away, so I thought I'd make it a more traditional pesto, although to be honest, it's just as good without it.

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Wild Garlic & Basil Pesto with Baobab

Written by Jacqueline Meldrum

August 5, 2015

A rich green pesto made with wild garlic. Quickly whizzed up in a blender and great served on pasta, in wraps or on bruschetta.

Ingredients

30g wild garlic
20g fresh basil
25g veggie or vegan parmesan
100g salted cashews
1 tsp baobab powder
a good grinding of black pepper
100ml olive oil

Instructions

1. Wash and pat dry the wild garlic and basil.2. Add all the ingredients to a blender and whizz. I used my Optimum 9200 Next Generation power blender, but you can use any blender or even a pestle and mortar.3. Whizz until it still has a bit of texture.4. Keep in a sealed jar or tub in the fridge topped up with olive oil until you need it. It will keep happily in the fridge for a few days.5. Enjoy!

Details

Total time: 5 mins
Yield: 1 jar of pesto

Disclosure: I was sent some Baobab Powder a while back by Aduna who work with local communtiies in Africa and as you know I work with Froothie who distributes Optimum blenders. I was not asked expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are my own.