This is such a wonderful and addictive Garlic Flower Pesto. It is slightly spicy from the garlic flower stems and has some serious depth of flavor from the sheep Gouda. I got these garlic flowers from the farmers market and they aren’t always available but when they are do your self a favor and experiment with them.
I used this great sheep Gouda from the Friesland region of Holland called Ewephoria, kind of a funny name, huh? What I love is that it is from a small farm where they treat the sheep like family; another reason is that they use vegetable rennet. It is a slightly hard cheese with notes of toasted caramel and hazelnuts.
I am so excited; one of my best friends is coming to visit from Maui for the 4th of July weekend. I have a ton of food I plan to this week for our weekend. This pesto will last a long time due to the garlic so it’s perfect to make ahead of time.
This pesto would pair nicely with a lot of different wines. I particularly love it with a Prosecco because the sparkliness is great with the spicy garlic. It goes well with a Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and a Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah even a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Recipe: Approx. 2 3/4 Cups
- 1 Cup Garlic Flowers and Stems
- 3/4 Cup Ewephoria Sheep Gouda – finely shredded
- 3/4 Cup Raw Walnut
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive OIl
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Instructions:
Cut 1/2 inch off the bottoms of the stems and with a knife cut into the end at the skin and peel by pulling the outside of the skin off the garlic stems all the way up then continue around until all the skin is removed. Then cut into about 1-inch pieces to be able to measure along with the flowers.
Add the cheese, walnuts, oil, lemon juice and salt to a bowl of a food processor or blender then puree making sure to scrape the sides a couple times.
Health Benefits:
Garlic Flowers are high in fiber, vitamin B6, C and A. They help maintain healthy tissues and organs by bringing oxygen to the blood. The many allium compounds help prevent bone loss and fractures. They are also rich in sulfur and selenium, which, maintains healthy skin and helps prevent heart disease including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Garlic has phytochemicals that act as antioxidants, which is immune boosting and helps suppress tumor and detoxify the body.
