Garlic Mustard and Stinging Nettle Pesto with Roasted Walnuts

Yield: About 1 1/2-2 cups

My motto with greens is “when in doubt, pesto.” I think its one of the best ways to prepare a newly encountered green to appreciate its full flavor. And this combination did not disappoint. I used roasted walnuts to round out and deepen the flavor even more and lemons provided a beautiful counterbalancing brightness.

2-3 cups garlic mustard leaves
1 cup packed blanched stinging nettle leaves*
3/4 cup roasted walnuts
4 cloves garlic
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T lemon juice
zest of 1/2 a lemon (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add more oil to desired consistency (mine was more like a paste). Season with salt and pepper.

*Stinging nettles…..sting. Blanching removes the sting. Boil some water, add a little bit of salt and blanch the nettles for about 5 minutes. Wear gloves when harvesting and when dropping them into the boiling water.

http://brazenkitchen.com/2013/04/23/from-the-archives-garlic-mustard-and-stinging-nettle-pesto/