This afternoon my kitchen is suffused with the most wonderful smell: it’s of garlic, but fresh and wild. I had left some wild garlic shoots on my chopping board for a few minutes while I boiled a couple of eggs. I’m really wanted to capture that wonderful aroma in a pesto to serve with some cold chicken left over from yesterday and some plain steamed potatoes, which would allow its glorious fragrance and flavour to dominate.

The oval shaped and strongly flavoured leaves of wild garlic (Alium ursinum) are one of the first wild foods of the year we can get out there to harvest. Found in moist, wooded shaded areas the leaves are easily identified by their typical and overpowering aroma (believe it or not, it smells of garlic) and are sometimes referred to as ramsons. This spring pesto is full of gutsy flavour and can be used with pasta, spread on crostini, served with crudités used in omelettes, swirled into soups and stews. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks - any extra can easily be frozen in small containers so you can go wild with garlic throughout the year.
	INGREDIENTS 2 anchovy fillets 50g wild garlic shoots 1 cooked egg yolk 1tbsp grated parmesan 100ml olive oil 2tsp red wine vinegar
	METHOD Roughly chop the garlic shoots, anchovies and egg yolk, and whiz in a blender with the parmesan, olive oil and vinegar until you have a mossy green purée. Add a spoonful of water if too thick; refrigerate until needed.