It's baa-aack! Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard season is creeping up on us. Originally brought to the states for food and medicinal purposes, this highly invasive weed is taking over our forest. It crowds out native plant species, and it changes the soil chemistry. If you see it, pull it out, bag it up, and discard it. DO NOT put it in the compost pile--it will come back to haunt you.

You can actually cook with garlic mustard. Cook it as you would other greens, or try the recipe below. Who can't use some free food? Take as much as you like from the forest.


Garlic Mustard Pesto
by Jennifer Chesworth, Centre Hall, Pennsylvania

1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Pine Nuts or Walnuts
1/2 Cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese
Enough Garlic Mustard leaves to choke a horse (or to clear a forest floor)

Finely mince the walnuts and garlic mustard. An electric coffee grinder works like a charm. Add Oil and Cheese, serve with pasta or rice or other whole grain. For vegan pesto use Nutritional Yeast instead of Cheese.

Harvesting Garlic Mustard: take out the entire plant including the roots early in the season before it has a chance to flower. Young first leaves are best for pesto (and for salads or as a steamed green). Use only the leaves for this recipe. Remove the roots from the area you are clearing as they will re-establish themselves if left in a pile on the ground. If you pull up garlic mustard after it has flowered beware as it will develop the seedhead even after it is pulled from the ground.