Megan's Nature Nook
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Warm weather of Spring means new growth of plants and the start of the foraging season! There are a variety of plants that emerge this time of year, including Garlic Mustard! I became familiar with Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) while doing invasive species removal during the summers at various jobs. It’s not a plant you want in your woods, but it can be made into delicious pesto with little effort. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade... or uh, when life gives you Garlic Mustard, make pesto! I had heard pesto made from the plant can be quite delicious, but I hadn’t tried it yet. So, this year when the Garlic Mustard was showing to be a bountiful harvest, I decided to give it a try and am glad I did! As with any wild ingredient that you are foraging, you want to be sure you’re harvesting the right thing. Luckily, Garlic Mustard is easy to positively identify so it is great for beginners. Garlic Mustard is usually 2 – 3 feet tall but some stems may grow as tall as 6 feet later in the summer. The plants are usually single stemmed with heart or triangular shaped, deeply toothed leaves. The roots are “S” shaped. In early spring clusters of small, white flowers with 4 petals will appear at the top of the stem. The biggest giveaway for Garlic Mustard is its smell. If you aren’t sure you have the right plant, crush a leaf between your fingers and it’ll smell like garlic, hence giving it part of its name. (It gets the mustard part of its name from being in the Mustard family). Garlic Mustard is an invasive species, meaning it is not originally from North America and competes with other native plants for resources. It is native to Europe where it was often grown in gardens to be used in salads. By harvesting the whole plant, root and all, you will help to control the spread of this invasive species which is important to maintain healthy forests. Once you have located Garlic Mustard, you can begin harvesting! Be sure to grab near the base of the plant and pull gently so you get the entire plant, including the root. Bag up your plants on site so when you are carrying them through the woods you aren’t helping to spread this invasive species. Discard of any plant parts you do not use in the garbage in a sealed bag. Be sure to only harvest Garlic Mustard that you know has not been sprayed or chemically treated in any way. Wooded roadways can be home to Garlic Mustard, but it is best to not forage near the road due to possible contamination. The best time to harvest Garlic Mustard is when the flowers are just starting to form, but before they go to seed. If the plant has already gone to seed, you can still use it, but it will have a more bitter taste. Now that you have your plants, it’s time for pesto! Garlic Mustard Pesto Recipe by Kristen Smith - A Better Way to Thrive Blog Ingredient List 1 cup washed and drained Garlic Mustard leaves, moderately packed 1 tablespoons fresh herbs like basil, oregano, or thyme (optional) 1 large garlic clove ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds (pine nuts, almonds, or walnuts may also be used) ½ - 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil ½ teaspoon salt Dash black pepper 1. Place all ingredients, using ½ cup olive oil, in a food processor. 2. Turn on and process until smooth. You may need to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice. 3. Check the consistency of your pesto and add more oil if desired, pulsing the processor to combine. Makes about 1 cup depending on how much oil you use. After it was all blended together, I taste tested and added more ingredients as necessary until it tasted how I wanted. The recipe is more of a base and you can tailor it however you would like. Store pesto in the refrigerator, it also freezes well for later use. Some people freeze it in ice cube trays so they can take out a small amount at a time. Pesto Uses
If you’re not familiar with pesto you might wonder, “how do you eat this stuff?” Pesto is very versatile and can be added to many dishes to brighten them up. Here are a few ways to add it to the menu.
The possibilities are endless! Next time you're out on a hike keep you eyes peeled and noses sniffing for some Garlic Mustard to make this delicious pesto! You can help remove invasive species, maintain healthy forests, and you get pesto out of it! There's no downside to that! Happy foraging!
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