Perfect Pesto, Every Time

No need for measuring cups and spoons- our wild weed pesto is as versatile as it is tasty. We encourage you to use your senses to make this tasty green dip rather than relying on exact measurements. There are three reasons for this:

1. It makes you a better cook, forcing you to rely on your self rather than exacting measurements.

2. It brings you back into your body- when we learn to taste the food and medicine we make as we make it, we connect with it in a whole new way, learning how to trust our senses.

3. We make this pesto seasonally- if the chickweed is overflowing, we substitute this early spring green in place of fall's kale or summer's basil. Humans have survived for so long because we are adaptable; when we allow ourselves to be adaptable with recipes, realizing that we don't have to run to the grocery store every other day to get the exact ingredients, new creations are found... and you will save money and have more fun!

Herb Girls' Wild Green-sto (Green Pesto)

Plants in the “wild” (or your backyard!) have more vitamins and minerals than those grown commercially and organically (although organically-grown crops are typically more nutrient-dense than commercial). This is because wild plants have to create all their own defenses since no one is looking after them and providing them nutrients and protection.

Over time, we have selectively chosen those plants that are the juiciest and tastiest for cultivation, but in the process, we have bred out some of their wild medicine. For example, crabapples foraged in the wild aren’t as tasty as a Honeycrisp from the store, but they have way more phytonutrients (Check out Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson for more information on this).

Furthermore, when you begin to rely on food close at hand- no matter how small or infrequent- you ARE doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint. A lot of times, we can become overwhelmed with the environmental degradation going on around us that it makes us feel helpless... don't live into this defeatist mentality! There are many things you can do! But we must remember that this planet is perfectly designed and incredibly resilient, responding to the smallest, most incremental shifts. Also remember that if everyone makes little changes here and there, this adds up to massive shifts over time! 

A simple way to ensure you are getting some wild plant power every day + reducing your carbon footprint is to include some foraged plants in your daily life. This is very easy and tasty to do with our green-sto. 

3 handfuls arugula or spinach
1-2 handfuls wild plants like violet leaves, nettle, dandelion leaves, yarrow, chickweed, young sassafras leaves, young hibiscus leaves, and/or young sourwood leaves
1/4 c tahini
1/3 c olive oil
1 handful pumpkin seeds
1 handful walnuts
1 tsp miso
1 squeeze dijon mustard
juice and zest of 1-2 lemons
½ c frozen peas (the sweetness really balances the bitterness of wild herbs)
Sea salt and crushed black pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender/food processor and blend until smooth, adding more or less olive oil, lemon, or salt to get the right flavor profile. Store in bulk mason jars in the freezer or  spoon into silicone ice cube trays for individual servings.