Chickweed Pesto with Cashews
Chickweed is really good for you, containing Vitamins B Complex, C and D. It’s rich in minerals iron, copper, calcium, sodium, & has some manganese, phosphorus and zinc. For me it’s a free daily multi vitamin straight from the garden or foraging adventure.
It also has anti inflammatory, laxative, diuretic & galactagogue properties. It’s used internally to treat kidney disorders, inflammation of the stomach & bowels, and as a diuretic & detoxing support.
Chickweed also has gentle skin healing properties. Especially good for dry, itchy, inflamed skin conditions including eczema & psoriasis. I wilt the herb & infuse it in oil before straining & blending into my skincare. In a first aid situation you can mash up some fresh Chickweed and pack it (as a poultice) onto an insect bite, cut or rash, you’ll pretty quickly feel it’s cooling effects on your skin.
There are so many ways to incorporate Chickweed into your diet:
Raw in salads, juices, teas, smoothies, soups, stews, pesto, salad dressings, vinegar, wild ferments.
Chickweed has a mild, fresh, green, slightly salty flavor and blends well with many ingredients. The entire above ground parts of the plant are edible.
It’s a key ingredient in my daily salads, just chop it up so that the stringy stems don’t get stuck in your mouth. The younger plant has larger more succulent leaves, best for salads, but you can eat the plant at any stage (flowers, seeds & all).
Chickweed makes the most creamy & delicious pesto (it’s full of natural saponins which make it super creamy). It turns a salad dressing into the brightest green you’ve ever seen which snazzes up even the dullest salad and looks amazing.
- Grab about 2-3 cups full of Chickweed.
- Use scissors to trim your chickweed close to the ground, if you use your fingers you’ll rip out the roots and get all the messy dirty stuff underneath. You can trim very low to the ground and Chickweed will regrow.
- Roughly chop the Chickweed (so that the stringy stems don’t get stuck on your blender blade).
- Add 1/2 cup of nuts of choice (I love cashews),
- 1-2 TBSP good quality olive oil,
- 1-2 cloves crushed garlic,
- salt & pepper.
- If you have fresh lemon you can squeeze in half a lemon juice.
- Put everything in a blender and whizz on high speed until well blended. If it’s getting stuck and not turning well you can add a little water.
