Wild garlic pesto

This vegan and nut-free wild garlic pesto is a foraged version of the classic Franco-Italian basil-based pasta sauce. Traditionally using fresh raw green basil leaves, garlic, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil, it is a true wonderment of culinary excellence when you make it from scratch, the sweet perfume of the basil and a hit of garlic pungency on the nose, coupled with a savoury deep mature cheese hue from the Parmesan. 

It's only when tasted in the mouth that the nutty notes of the pine kernels and olive oil hit home, invariably finished off with a black pepper twist. There are hundreds of versions out there, but ours is vegan thanks to the Parmesan taste and texture being replaced with nutritional yeast, plus we use the seeds from a previously used butternut squash in place of pine nuts. 

The wild garlic replaces the basil, but you can mix and match if you like. Or when wild garlic is not in season, follow the same method but replace the wild garlic with young spinach and add two cloves of chopped garlic. Blanching the wild garlic is essential here, to seal the chlorophyll and tenderise the stalks and more robust leaves slightly before we add to the food processor. Wild garlic is widely known for its antibacterial, antibiotic and possibly antiviral properties, and contains vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and copper. 

Studies have also shown that it may help reduce blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease. Nutritional yeast not only adds a cheesy umami but also a healthy dose of vitamin B12 which is missing from vegan diets, while squash seeds are primed with magnesium and potassium and are high in protein.