Wild garlic is another edible plant that is out there for the taking. While in the Burren, I picked the leaves to turn into pesto. The leaves are tart and I hear the flowers are sweeter so I’ll be experimenting with them soon. The leaves can also be used in salads for a real punch of garlic! Part of the beauty of living in West Clare is the access to the farmers who produce gorgeous cheeses. What made this pesto special was the tasty hard goat cheese I got from a local goat farmer and cheese maker. If you don’t have access to really good hard goat cheese use a nice aged parmesan. Use fresh toasted nuts, a good quality olive oil and your favorite sea salt. Here’s my recipe for Burren Pesto – gluten free and so simple:
Puree: 1 cup wild garlic, 1/2 cup grated hard cheese, 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts. Drizzle in 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate for up to 1 month.
This can be used as a base for sauces, spreads and dips. I made a sauce for pasta. For every tablespoon of pesto add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, blend well, heat and toss with hot pasta. I sprinkled chopped red sweet peppers, more grated cheese and a sprinkle of fresh parsley from the garden. I’m hooked! I will definetly be using this recipe for my 2nd cookery book. check out Coming Home To Cook for more vegetarian recipes that you can use with this pesto. Sona ag cocaireacht! Happy Cooking!