During these times of perceived scarcity, it’s always good to recognize that nature offers up gifts to those who’s eyes are willing to see them. Our land during Civil War times was a brickyard. The clay was ideal for profits from this product and bricks were shipped by rail between Detroit and Chicago. In World War II, the land was turned into an onion farm to help feed the troops. This is where our story begins today, as the land is covered with wild chives by the thousands waiting for someone to notice them. I dry them in our food dehydrator to use in the winter, but the real treat is when they are turned into pesto. Now there are as many pesto recipes as there are cooks, but isn’t it wonderful when you have something randomly growing that can be used? I think so.
This morning I put a teaspoon in my scrambled eggs; whipped it into the eggs with a little half and half and it was delicious. The options for using wild chive pesto are only as limited as our imaginations. Try using it as a base for a vinaigrette, or thinning it with additional olive oil, vinegar and mustard then tossing it with hot red-skinned potatoes for a French take on warm potato salad. Don’t be afraid to add other herbs to it like dill or parsley; it makes a good dip when mixed with sour cream or Greek yogurt. Swirl it into a brothy soup for a touch of spring. I think you’re getting the idea.
WILD CHIVE PESTO
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups cleaned, lightly packed wild chives, cut into manageable lengths with scissors
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (or walnuts or pistachios)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 – 3/4 cup olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
You will need 3-4 4 ounce canning jars ready, as these are perfect size for freezing this pesto. Then with your food processor running, drop your garlic cloves in one at a time until they are minced and clinging to the sides of the bowl.
Open up your food processor and place your 4 cups of lightly packed wild chives in the bowl. Add to this your pine nuts, and salt.
Pulse your ingredients for about 5 times, so they are blended together; then with you processor running, slowly pour in a 1/4 cup of your olive oil. Stop your processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Turn your processor back on and pour an additional 1/4 cup of olive oil. Open your processor and check to see if it’s at the consistency you want (I usually look for a loose paste). Taste to see if the salt component is to your liking.
Spoon into 4 ounce canning jars and top with additional olive oil. This will easily keep in the freezer for up to a year.
Yield: 3-4 4 ounces jars
“The real voyage of discovery is not seeking new landscapes, but seeing with new eyes.”
—Marcel Proust
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