Wild Garlic Pesto with Davidstow ‘Cruncher’ Cheese
I created this recipe because of a glut of wild garlic that grows in my back garden and along local lanes and hedgerows every spring. We have so much of it, and it smells so lovely when you brush up against it, that I decided I needed to somehow utilise it rather than let it go to waste.
So, I came up with a pesto recipe which I have tried with various and alternative ingredients before deciding on this one here. The pesto can be put into jars after use and stored in the fridge for up to a week or so and is perfect with pasta recipes and with/on chicken, salads and breads.
Traditionally this dish is made using pinenuts, basil, parmesan and olive oil. Since I’m based down in sunny Cornwall I created an ‘accidental’ alternative of crushed almonds, wild garlic and cheese from our local cheese factory just up the road (I chose to use ‘Cornish Cruncher’ from Davidstow cheese factory as it was strong like parmesan, and easily and more affordably available locally). I also used a few crushed sunflower seeds to add a bit of oily texture. It’s worth noting that it’s preferable to use good quality olive oil for this as the flavour of the oil will contribute to the general overall taste.
Large handful of wild garlic, flowers included
Mature crumbly cheese (I prefer Davidstow cheeses)
Almond flakes and/or sunflower seeds
Good quality olive oil
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
It’s hard to give exact quantities for this recipe as it depends on the amount of wild garlic you’ve picked and how you like your pesto to taste. I like mine to be quite garlicky and I find that by adding a pinch of crushed chilli, it helps to bring out that garlic flavour a little more.
Start by crushing your almond flakes and sunflower seeds in a pestal and mortar. You should find they crush fairly well but don’t worry if not, a little texture can be nice in a pesto anyway. Next, roughly chop the wild garlic, removing any dead stems and then rinse this under a cold tap in a collendar before transferring to a bowl.
Next stage is to blitz the wild garlic with a hand blender. It should only take a minute or so. Then, add in the crushed nuts and mix in with a spoon before giving it all a bit of a hit with the blitzer again. Then add in the cheese with you can either grate, or crumble. Add a teaspoon or so of oil and again mix with a spoon. Keep adding in little dribbles of oil until it starts looking like a pesto which is liquid like but not so much that it pours.
Once the texture and taste is about right, pour into sterilised jars and keep sealed in the fridge by up to a week or so. I love using this with a homemade pasta or tortellini.
