As the days start to get warmer in March, wild garlic pops up in the forests in our area. Collecting wild garlic is a wonderful sensory experience for toddlers. The leaves are soft and smooth, it makes a gentle popping sound as the leaf breaks off from the stalk, and it smells amazing once it is picked. Plus they can participate in the complete process from collecting to washing and preparing.
Identifying wild garlic
It is important to be careful not to confuse wild garlic with poisonous plants such as lily of the valley or meadow saffron. Pick each leaf individually and if collecting with children keep an eye on what they are picking. If you are not 100% sure you can correctly identify wild garlic have someone experienced show you.
Wild garlic pesto
A basic recipe for wild garlic pesto is two parts wild garlic, one part pine nuts, one part parmesan cheese, enough olive oil to bring it all together, and salt to taste.
- 100 grams wild garlic
- 50 grams pine nuts, almonds, or cashews, roasted
- 50 grams parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt
Pulse everything up in a blender or give it a go with a mortar and pestle. Keep adding olive oil until the desired consistency is reached and then add salt to taste.
You can play around with the ratios and quantities depending on how much you want to make. Some recipes even call for equal parts wild garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan which would make a milder pesto perfect for young children.
Below is a great video from Rooted Forest School about making wild garlic pesto with children:
Wild garlic bread
Wild garlic can be finely chopped and added to your standard bread recipe to bake in the oven or over the fire.
