Asparagus & Wild Herb Pesto

by LEON BOUTEILLER

I enjoy foraging for wild edibles. I am no expert. My list of edibles is limited to less than a dozen unless we count mushrooms. Those I know, I know well. I am confident that what I collect and serve to guests is safe.

There is good reason for trepidation when foraging wild edibles for there are a few wild plants that can make you pretty ill or worse. With a little education it is easy to identify some of the best ones right in our area. Books about foraging wild edibles are easy to find; it is best to reinforce that knowledge with someone well-versed on the subject.

A tip about foraging: even if you’re certain about proper identification, do not pick anything along the roadside. Highway department weed control spray might be there and who knows what from passing cars. The same applies to farmland and anywhere crops are grown. Herbicides and pesticides may be present. That said, there are many edible wild plants out there waiting to be collected. The ones I mention can be just as easy as identifying dandelions.

Asparagus does grow wild. Correctly it has gone wild after planting years ago. It looks just like it does in the market. It’s easiest to find in the spring. If you ascertain where the mature plants are in late summer and fall, go there in the spring when they emerge. Or just forage from your local grocer.

Ramps proliferate right now. Time is running out for they hold their tasty leaves for a few weeks’ time. They then send up a flower stem and essentially vanish into the forest floor. These broad leaves with a lily-like appearance have a mild onion flavor similar to scallions. I grip firmly on the bottom of the stem and give a tug. Usually the leaves and stem will detach and the small bulb will remain in the ground to regrow next year.

Garlic mustard, an invasive, has become a prolific nuisance in the Northeast. Luckily it is very tasty. It has a mild garlicky flavor and aroma with a little bitterness. I usually pick the top three or four inches of the young plants in the spring and maybe the flowers and buds in mid-summer. The lower parts of the plant get much too bitter and tough as the season wears on.

This pesto can be used as any other pesto. When tossed with pasta, it’s delicious. It can be used as a topping for roast fish, chicken or vegetables.

ASPARAGUS and WILD HERB PESTO

Ingredients:

8 ounces asparagus, plus more for garnish, the tender top 5 or 6 inches only, washed well
4 ounces ramps, washed thoroughly and drained well
2 ounces garlic mustard, the top 3 to 4 inches, washed and drained well
⅓ cup toasted pine nuts (pignoli nuts)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove (optional) just to boost the garlic flavor a bit
Extra asparagus for garnish
Grated cheese such as Parmesan or Romano
Pasta of choice

Method:

Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Shock in ice water until cold. Drain, and cut into ½ inch pieces
Rough chop cleaned ramps and garlic mustard
Crush, peel and chop garlic, if using
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, except olive oil, and pulse a few times
Scrape down sides of the bowl and set processor to on and pour the olive oil in a steady stream and process for 30 seconds
Taste for salt, scrape down the sides and process again for 30 seconds

For service with pasta:

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until barely al dente and then drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water
Return the pasta to the pot along with enough pesto to thoroughly coat the pasta, adding enough reserved pasta water to facilitate a nice sauce-like consistency.
Serve in warm bowls topped with grated cheese and some reserved asparagus tips

I serve this springtime foraged pesto several times during the picking season and make extra to freeze for year round. Don’t have pignoli nuts, use toasted almonds. They make a very good version.

Enjoy!