Hazelnut and Wild Greens Pesto is a modern British recipe for a classic wild food pesto made from a blend of hazelnuts, oil, ramson leaves and wild garlic leaves with Parmesan cheese. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Hazelnut and Wild Greens Pesto.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
Last October I stumbled across a hazel bush in a local park with larger than normal nuts. It was in a high traffic area so although the nuts had fallen the squirrels had not grabbed them yet. Over a few days I managed to gather a nice bag full of nuts. I cleaned them, dried them and kept them in their shells over winter, waiting for spring when I could use them to prepare a nice wild greens pesto. Now, in mid March the ramsons (wild garlic) greens and the garlic mustard are out and its time to make my pesto. I used local cold-pressed rapeseed oil instead of the more usual olive oil.
Ingredients:
100g shelled hazelnuts (blanched and toasted)
500ml water
3 tbsp baking soda
15g ramson leaves (large bunch), coarsely chopped
10g garlic mustard leaves, coarsely chopped
120ml virgin rapeseed oil
50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
½ tsp sea salt
Method:
To blanch the add them to a pan of 500ml boiling water with 3 tbsp baking soda. Cook for 3–5 minutes until the skins loosen, turn the water dark, and rub off easily. Immediately plunge the nuts into an ice bath, rub off the skins with a towel, and dry thoroughly.
Arrange the nuts on a baking tray, spreading them out. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for 5 minutes. Turn the nuts then return to the oven for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour into a bowl. Set aside until cooled.
Combine all the ingredients to a small food processor or mini chopper.
Pulse until all of the ingredients are blended. Use a spatula to scrape the sides to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed.
Transfer to a sterilised jar and store in the refrigerator.
