Recipe: Garlic Mustard Pesto

6 edible invasive species recipes

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Comments: 2

JuanitaBeasley Mar 24 2011 at 12:16 PM

Well, I have already started pulling up the GM that has invaded my yard. I'll try a small amount of the pesto and see if I like it.

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joyochs Apr 04 2011 at 11:27 PM

How did it taste? I'm willing to try it if it's not totally icky.

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Garlic Mustard Pesto

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) has invaded the woodlands of the Midwest and Upper Peninsula of Michigan. To stem the rapid spread, the Kalamazoo Nature Center published “From Pest to Pesto" (PDF) to promote greater awareness. This recipe was adapted from the book.

Garlic Mustard Pesto

Ingredients

3 cups garlic mustard greens, chopped and packed. Pick greens from an unsprayed area and thoroughly wash them.
6 ounces pine nuts or walnuts
1 teaspoon garlic mustard root, sliced
4 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
6 ounces virgin olive oil
8 cups cooked penne pasta
Salt to taste
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

Time estimates

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Directions

Toss mustard greens, pine nuts, root and chives into food processor. Add olive oil slowly while blending.
Serve with cooked penne pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Serves 6 to 8