WILD GARLIC PESTO PASTA

WILD GARLIC PESTO PASTA WITH A  FORAGED HERB SALAD

The Pesto.

• 100g mixed chopped nuts 
• 60g wild garlic (ramsons)
• 150ml olive oil
• 30g Grated Parmesan or veggie Parmesan from Bookhams or Waitrose   
• salt and pepper to taste

First cut the stalks off the end of the wild garlic leaves, then just go over all of the leaves with a knife, rough chop and put in your kitchen blender.

Add the grated Parmesan, olive oil and mixed chopped nuts to the blender and pulse in short blasts until it is a good consistency. season with salt and pepper and put to one side.  Easy!

 
Salad and dressing

• 1½ tbsp of Tewkesbury mustard
• 1tbsp of clear honey
• 1tsp of balsamic vinegar
• 150ml of olive oil
• 1tbsp of wholegrain mustard 

Whisk the tewkesbury, honey and vinegar together then slowly poor in the oil, whisking the whole time, then whisk in the wholegrain mustard.

For my salad I picked Three sided garlic aka leek , wild fennel, penny wort and a few bits from my garden - chives and parsley.  You can add any salad leaves you have in your fridge or garden.  Just mix your salad and enough dressing to coat the leaves.

Now for the hard bit... take one pack of good quality pasta, cook, and add the Wild garlic pesto as you would any other pesto - then eat !  Alternatively, make your own pasta, like I did... recipe to follow

SWEET POTATO AND WILD GARLIC HUMMUS

WILD GARLIC

• 246g 1 can of drained chick peas
• 25g Tahini
• 60g wild garlic (ramsons)
• 250g peeled and diced sweet potato
• 1tsp of dried thyme of few sprigs of fresh
• olive oil
• Maldon sea salt and fresh ground black pepper 

 Why sweet potato ?... Well I tried some beet root hummus few weeks back and decided I wanted to try out other veg hummus and I love sweet potato so I had a go!

Pre heat your oven to 200c. Peel and dice your sweet potato to about a 1cm dice, make a tin foil bag and add a splash of olive oil the thyme and a pinch of salt, close the foil bag and place on a tray in the oven for 30mins.

Meanwhile in a blender put your chick peas, I used organic ones from my local wholefood shop Fruits of the Earth also add your tahini and rough chopped wild garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper and a good glug of olive oil, at this point you don't want it to wet as the sweet potato has a lot of moisture. blitz it till a nice smooth texture and put to one side.

Purée

If you want you can just add 1tbl spoon of lemon juice and a splash more olive oil and have wild garlic hummus.


Wash your mixer out and add the sweet potato, it should now be soft and brake up in your fingers.
blitz in to a Purée (very smooth texture) and chill in the fridge.

The last part just mix the sweet potato and chick pea together,  adjust seasoning and enjoy with a picnic on the beach.