My jar was rather too full, but I knew that there was no point using several jars, as some of it would be eaten quite soon.
Makes 1 jar of pesto
+Wild+Garlic+Pesto.jpg)
100g wild garlic leaves
40g leek
60g walnuts
60g pecorino romano cheese
50ml olive oil, plus extra for sealing the jar
Measure out your ingredients, and place everything except the oil in a food processor. The garlic leaves don't necessarily need to be washed, but mine were picked on a muddy riverbank just after a rainy morning, so needed a little rinse. Grate the cheese before placing it in the food processor. You can use any hard cheese, but you'll get the best results by using a strongly flavoured one.
Whizz the ingredients, and while you do so, slowly pour in the olive oil. If you find that the pesto is a little firm for your liking, then you can add some more oil.
+Wild+Garlic+Pesto.jpg)
Pour the pesto into a clean jar, and shake it a little to release any air-bubbles, as these would make the pesto degrade sooner. Once all the air-bubbles are gone, pour a little olive oil over the top. This seals the pesto and keeps air away from it, and therefore prolonging its life.
Keep the jar in the fridge until it is all eaten.
I have been considering making pesto of late, but all the instructions I can find begin "put ingredients in food processor...". I'm sure it must be *possible* (if perhaps tedious) to make it without a food processor :)
ReplyDeleteDo you have any tips on how to do that? I was wondering whether it'll be all chopping to start with, or whether putting the green stuff through a mincer might work...
Hi,
ReplyDeleteYou can do it with a knife and chopping board as well, but it will take a while, and the result won't be as smooth. It'll taste just as nice though. Just make sure you do it on a large chopping board so you don't spill food all over (have made that mistake myself too often).
I don't have much experience with mincers, but it might be worth a try? If it doesn't work, then move on to knives. I would use a sharp knife, to make your life as easy as possible. Also, if using knife and chopping board, you may need to use more oil, as you probably won't get as much of the juices out of the leaves when you chops as when you use a food processor.