Introduction: Bear's Garlic Pesto
- a big bowl (diameter approx. 35 cm / 14 inches) full of bear's garlic leafs
- 500 ml / approx. 2.5 cups of olive oil
- 0.5 kg / approx. 1 pound of grated parmesan cheese
- approx. 30 Almonds
- Salt
Step 1: Pluck Enough Bear's Garlic
- bear's garlic bread with bacon
- bear's garlic mashed potatoes
- bear's garlic risotto
Step 2: Mixing in Steps
Take a hand blender and blend each leaf pile with the grinded parmesan cheese and olive oil. Make sure you take enough olive oil! If its too little, the blender will get stuck and burn through :). The same will happen, if you try to mix all of the leafs and the cheese together :). It's better if you dont blend the leafs for too long, because its said they become bitter after a while. I don't know if that's true, but to be on the safe side...
Step 3: Almonds, Salt and Finishing Up
When all the leafs are mixed, you can "reunite" the 5 portions. Then, blend the almonds and add them to the paste. Take a spoon to stir it and distribute the almonds. Now add salt. It needs quite a lot of salt, so don't worry if you put much more than a table spoon in the paste. To keep the pesto as long as possible, put it into small jars.
When you filled the jars, make sure you cover the pesto with a lot of olive oil, that way you prevent the pesto from oxidation with the surrounding air. Close the jars, make nice name tags and bring it for your next house warming party! You can eat the pesto with spaghetti or any other type of pasta. I also like to put it into a nice tomato mozarella sandwich or just as a spread onto little toast breads as appetizers...
WARNING: The pesto leaves a very strong garlic taste in your mouth, so if you plan to have an important meeting the next day, postpone your bear's garlic spaghetti.
13 Comments
6 years ago
Nice idea!
I do want to warn that 'Bear's Garlic plants (a European species) resemble some other but poisonous plants, such as Lily of the Valley. .. and there are others, too.
Be sure of what yu pick!!!! Check with people who are knowledgeable !!
9 years ago on Step 3
Looks great! I know a field with loads of this stuff - I believe it's also called 'ransoms'.
One question: How long can you keep it? Will it freeze?
Many thanks - I look forward to making it.
Duncan
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Thank you! I kept it for one month at it was still fine. After 6 weeks it tasted a little less fresh, more like the pesto one can buy in the store. I did not try freezing it, but it sounds like a cool idea. But just don't heat it after freezing, otherwise the cheese inside starts melting and it becomes a huge "clot" of pesto :). Tell m!e once you tried freezing it
Reply 9 years ago on Step 3
I missed them this year - hadn't realised the season was so early. Will try next year instead. Thanks for your replay (know it was a while ago now!)
9 years ago on Introduction
Tweeted; Ty!
9 years ago on Introduction
you could probably can the jars and they would keep longer.
9 years ago on Step 3
Baerlauch!
Sehr gut!
9 years ago on Introduction
Mmmmmmhhh! Remember that from Europe - very nice stuff but potent. Gruäss de Bär u d'pfrou.
9 years ago on Introduction
In the UK it is called wild garlic or ramsons. Easy to find in damp areas and identified by the smell.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Yeah exactly, the smell is quite strong, but in a good way :).
9 years ago on Introduction
beautiful! i wonder if 'bear's garlic' is what we call ramps here in US... i'm going to try that, thank you!
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Thank you! I am not sure, but I don't think so... I used a translator and it said "bear's garlic". Wikipedia means: "Allium ursinum – known as ramsons, buckrams, wild garlic, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek or bear's garlic"... hope that helps :).
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
thank you for the latin name! it's a close relative of ramps! =) thanks again for the nice recipe!!