Chickweed Pesto

Chickweed Pesto

by Sara Schuster

As a follow-up to last month’s article on identifying and foraging spring plants from your yard, I wanted to share with you a recipe for an easy chickweed pesto. This is a seasonal favorite in our house that we’ve made time and time again! The lemon juice pairs really well with the brightness of the fresh chickweed.

As always, make sure you are 100% certain of your plant identification before eating something you forage, and that the plants weren’t sprayed with anything.

This recipe is easy to double, and I imagine it would freeze well too, though we’ve never had any leftovers here to do so with!

Ingredients

1 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1.5 cups of fresh chickweed 3 Tbs lemon juice ½ tsp salt ½ tsp cumin 3 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup tahini 3 Tbs olive oil (reserve 2 Tbs)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients, except for 2 Tbs of olive oil, in a food processor or high-speed blender.

2. Puree until you have a smooth consistency. You will need to stop frequently and use a spatula to scrape down the inside of the processor.

3. To get an ideal consistency, you may need to add additional liquid. A tablespoon or three of water is usually enough. Add a spoonful at a time as needed.

4. Once you’re happy with the consistency, adjust salt as needed.

5. Put hummus into a bowl, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. I also garnished mine with some purple dead nettle flowers. Edible flowers are such a treat!

6. Enjoy! Serve with fresh vegetables, chips, or pita bread. This is also delicious as a spread on sandwiches.