Garlic Mustard

This super invasive species has been wrecking havoc all over Ontario but is actually a super delicious vegetable. The garlicy leaves can be picked, mixed up in a blender with some parmesan, nuts, and olive oil and poof! You have an extremely filling and fresh sauce that is amazing on pasta, rice, and especially on pizza. Note that later in the summer, the older leaves can be bitter so be sure to pick the more tender ones closer to the top of the plant.

The roots of garlic mustard can be ground up and added with vinegar and salt in order to make a homemade horse radish. I’ve only attempted this once and although it doesn’t taste particularly special, it is a good vinegary garnish for breads or salads. Again, not my favourite but a very useful thing to do if you don’t want to waste the roots.

Summary of dishes:

  • Garlic Mustard Pesto
  • Garlic Mustard Root Horse Radish

Here is my general recipe that I use for pesto: