{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreifh7sfooxl7picqydsa3zh4og6bgc5kr5brwm5encanfshaqngi7m",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:l7hutpzgx5nl5h4aomjaoq6a/app.bsky.feed.post/3mljsdq5aq2l2"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreiadbfc3xdprll3sjo6w6y3ddsysyu64rjzyihfvylutm44rzz5pxm"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
    "size": 416666
  },
  "path": "/2026/05/wild-garlic-pesto-for-70.html",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-09T23:46:00.006Z",
  "site": "https://weekend-chef.blogspot.com",
  "tags": [
    "Julie Gritten",
    "Zyliss Pull vegetable chopper"
  ],
  "textContent": "I have just returned from a camp with 78 people of all ages from 7 months to 70 years. The camp was in a beautiful oak wood with bluebells and large patches of wild garlic.\n\nI carefully picked a large carrier bag full of leaves and flowers, taking care to pick clean and undamaged leaves, taking only a few from each plant.\n\nI washed everything in clean water with six tablespoons of salt, leaving it to soak for 15 minutes, I was told this was Kosher Washing, but it seems that that involves soap.\n\nI was told by Julie Gritten that my plan to use stalks and flowers in the pesto was a bad one, as they are very fibrous, she was right.\n\nWe set to separating the leaves from stalks and flowers, much thanks to Morgan who carried on even when it started to rain.\n\nWe rough chopped the leaves.\n\nPut the stalks and flowers to one side.\n\nThe camp caterer had a  Zyliss Pull vegetable chopper with insanely sharp blades.\n\nA succession of children pulled the cord while I held the lid on with oil covered hands.\n\nAfter the first chop we added sunflower oil (olive oil is sour when emulsified), a tablespoon of salt, 300 grams of toasted sliced almonds, juice of one lemon, a little ground pepper, and whizzed it again.\n\nServed with a flower decoration.\n\nThe stalks were cooked separately, they were very stringy and should have been cut into 1 inch lengths.\n\nOn the last day I picked a smaller bunch, from a ride where they were at the limit of their range, and brought it home.\n\nCleaning and separating leaves from stalks is still hard work, even in a kitchen.\n\nMy beloved Coffret was not really up to the task. I added four tablespoons of powdered almonds.\n\nServed with fresh pasta, steak and mushrooms.\n\nI kept the stalks and flowers in the fridge overnight and used a soup blender to completely pulverise them with rapeseed oil, salt, lemon and walnuts.\n\nThe result was three jars of white pesto paste. I gave two away as it needs to be eaten fresh. I kept a small number of bulbs to plant in the garden.\n\nWe even microwaved a few stems.\n\nWhilst there was a lot of preparation work the result was really good, both on camp with almonds and at home wit walnuts.\n\nIt was lovely to prepare such good food from scratch for so many people.",
  "title": "Wild Garlic Pesto for 70",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-10T00:08:58.604Z"
}