MAKING FOOD WITH WEEDS: CHICKWEED PESTO

Chickweed is one of the first weedy herbs to grow in the early spring.   It is packed with minerals and was our ancestors first foods after a long winter.  Chickweed helps support and strengthen your immune system and adds much needed minerals to your body!  Especially after a long winter.  Fact: Chickweed contains more minerals then any vegetable grown in your garden!  So it is worth trying a few recipes.

PESTO:

1 1/2 cup virgin olive oil

2 cups Chickweed

1 1/2 cup walnuts

3 cloves garlic

1 cup cheese I used Swiss Emmentaler but you can use Parmesan

Sea salt to taste

Wash Chickweed and chop.  Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.  Refrigerate and it will keep for a week to a week and a half another way is to  freeze it.

HOW TO HARVEST: make sure you are harvesting the right herb.  Some markers are Chickweed has smooth leaves and is not hairy.  A good marker is it has one line of fine hair that runs in a line up the stem and when it hits the leaves it does a candy cane spiral and switches sides.  It's flowers are white and look like there are 10 but there are really only 5 petals.  The petal has a deep division and what looks like two actually is really one, they connect at the base and it is hard to see. 

AVOID chickweed growing along roadsides, railroad tracts or heavily sprayed areas and around the foundation of old houses.  Chickweed draws minerals from the soil and it will pick up leads and other contaminates.  So just be safe!  And double check that you are picking the right weed with a plant guide.  There are a few look a likes.

Sudsily yours, Kim