Many Clear Books users are business owners, and whether you’re working by yourself from home or as part of a team in an office, time can be tight when it comes to having a lunch break.
That’s why each month we’re posting a recipe for a quick, time-saving lunch from a member of the Clear Books team, so you can still have a tasty and nutritious lunch.
This month’s recipe is a seasonal one that you can’t fail to love (unless you hate garlic of course).While the initial steps might be time-consuming, once it’s done you’ll have the ingredients for a really quick, simple lunch for the next few weeks (or up to a year if you put it in the freezer) .
We’re slightly early as April marks the beginning of ‘wild garlic season’, where for a limited time only (until approximately June) you can find this flavoursome plant growing in dark woods across the UK.
It can be tricky to find, especially in urban areas, but it’s more than worth the trouble. The other barrier is that once people find it, they’re reluctant to divulge its location to other garlic seekers.
If you’re one of the lucky finders, here’s a recipe for delicious wild garlic pesto.
If you’re not so lucky, or prefer a quicker solution, simply substitute the wild garlic leaves for standard basil and garlic.
Warning: wild garlic looks very similar to poisonous plants such as lily of the valley and autumn crocus. However, neither of these have the distinct garlic smell so it’s easy to spot imposters.
More importantly, it smells very garlicky, so if you’re eating it at the office hide in a meeting room, or make enough for your colleagues so you’re all in an oblivious garlic fug together.
Pasta with wild garlic pesto
Ingredients
- 50g wild garlic leaves
- 80ml olive oil
- 30g pine nuts
- 30g parmesan cheese
- Sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Blanche the wild garlic to get rid of any woodland creepy crawlies
- Drain thoroughly and chop the leaves roughly with a knife to make the final sauce smoother
- Blitz everything except the oil in a food processor. You can also use a handheld mixer instead, or even a pestle and mortar if you have time
- Slowly add the olive oil while still blending slowly and stir
- Serve with the pasta of your choice and more parmesan
- Keep the leftovers in a glass jar and store in the fridge or freezer where it’ll keep for several weeks (longer in the freezer)
Let us know if you try it or if you’ve got a different wild garlic recipe to share with us!
