Ramson Pesto

Wild garlic, or ramsons, is a mild garlic flavoured spring vegetable, growing wild in woodland and in some gardens. Picked early in the season, the tender young leaves are a perfect ingredient in a fresh, low-airmile, seasonal ramson pesto. Make up a batch or two extra to pop in the freezer and enjoy throughout the year. I like to use nuts and seeds grown close to home for this, such as sunflower seeds and hazelnuts, but other seeds and nuts work well too. The same goes for the cheese and oil, where I like to use Irish ingredients such as cheddar and rapeseed oil, but the more traditional parmesan and olive oil work really well too…

What are Ramsons

Ramsons are a member of the onion family (allium), and is also known as wild garlic and a myriad of other names. It is a native plant and grows wild in Ireland in woodland. Ramson flowers in March and April, sometimes even into May. Like many other members of the allium family, its flowers are much loved by bees. All parts of the plant are edible, and both young leaves picked from February onwards and the flower buds and stalks are wonderful spring delicacies. Ramsons can be used to make Ramson Capers, Stir fried with butter and sea salt, in a noodle broth with foraged spring greens, fermented either on their own or added to kimchi, or made into a delicate light green herb-salt. Ramsons have a spreading habit and can become a nuisance in gardens so may be best enjoyed foraged from the wild.

Find more recipes here, including a delicious recipe for ramson capers

Hanna Bäckmo