Well, kinda pesto…….  there is no garlic, and no basil, and not necessarily pine nuts, but there is ramsons, any nuts, and olive oil… and cheese if you want it, but it doesn’t have to be parmesan.

I love at this time of year walking through the woods and smelling the garlic of ramsons.  it is intoxicating, and if you stand on it, strong and pungent.  I love it so much I have planted some in my garden which allows me to pick handfuls so I can make this pesto and freeze it for a winter treat.  You either need to keep it in the fridge and eat in a few days or freeze in small containers as the colour can fade and the vibrant green can be lost.

I also don’t add the cheese until I am ready to eat it, and also you don’t need to add the cheese, it is just as good without.

Ramsons grows mainly in woodland or under the hedges, if growing in the wild you can pick it in small quantities if for your own use.  You can smell it before you see it, but when in view it is like a field of clouds.

ransom wood

ransom wood

It arrives whilst the bluebells are still in flower, but lasts a bit longer, so the blue fades to white.  All you need to do is find some, ideally not next to a road, and pick a handful.

Ingredients

Ramsons leaves stalks and flowers
Olive Oil
Nuts; pine, walnuts whatever is in the cupboards, I used a mix

and cheese at the end, if you want

yep  that is it!!

mixed seeds and nuts

whizz the ransom

Method

Another of my difficult recipes....

place the ramsons, stalks, leaves and flowers into a liquidiser and whizz
add some olive oil to make it easier to turn the ramsons into a paste
add some nuts, 

it all depends on how much ramsons you have
but doing it this way just means, if too solid or course.. add more oil
for more body or crunch add more nuts

the end result should be a green paste, you can whizz until it is a 
smooth paste or less so for a course effect

I leave mine quite course as it adds texture to a meal

you can then add grated cheese if you like, I do if adding to pasta

And that is it done!

It can be stored in the fridge for a good few days as it is coated in olive oil

Or I freeze for use in the winter.

I put on top of jacket potatoes, with steak, or added to pasta (with the grated cheese)

ransom pesto

steak and pesto

Ransom Pesto and spaghetti

Enjoy ….. Ellie helping out

SL