In the early spring the banks of many lanes and streams in Dorset, where I now live, are covered with wild garlic. The little white flowers appear in late April and the air is pervaded by an aroma more often associated with the kitchen than with the countryside. Walk into it and you would think you were preparing aioli. Before it begins to flower I go out and gather bags of this wild garlic with which I make a sort of salsa verde (see also here). This sauce goes very well with any dish with which you would serve the classic salsa verde – boiled chicken, brisket, gammon or roast or steamed fish.
Makes about 350 ml (12 fl oz)
300–350 g (10–12 oz) wild garlic
6 slices good white bread, crust removed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
150 ml (1/4 pint) extra virgin olive oil
Clean the garlic leaves and push them into the beaker of the food processor together with the bread, broken up into morsels. Add the mustard and salt and pepper. Start the motor and whiz for a few seconds before you start slowly pouring the oil down the funnel. Whiz for a few seconds more and then taste and adjust the seasoning.
This sauce keeps well for up to 1 week in the fridge.