Russell  Hunt

The Kings Head Hotel,

24 Market Place, Cirencester

01285 700900

THIS time of year is great — the sun has started to come out, people are beginning to brave al fresco dining.

At the King’s Head we have just launched our terrace menu which will run through the summer.

Nice sunny walks through the local parks and foraging is all the rage, with an abundance of ingredients to be found.

One of the most popular to forage for is wild garlic, and it grows everywhere.

I have put together what I call a British version of an Italian classic pesto. My version uses locally picked wild garlic in place of basil and is a delightful accompaniment for chicken, pasta or even just on fresh bread. From field to table ... it doesn’t get any fresher than this!

400g wild garlic 125g Westcombe Cheddar 250ml extra virgin rapeseed oil 100g toasted walnuts Salt and pepper to taste l Wash the garlic to remove any impurities. Blanch half of it and then refresh into ice water (this will help to retain the vibrant green colour).

  • Toast the walnuts at 180C for roughly 5 mins.
  •  Place the blanched wild garlic and raw wild garlic into a food processor and blend for roughly 5 seconds.
  •  Scrape down the sides of the blender then add the grated Cheddar (if you can’t find Westcombe any strong cheddar or parmesan cheese will do) and the toasted walnuts. Blend together while slowly adding the rapeseed oil.
  •  Finally check the seasoning and place into an airtight storage container. Keep in fridge until required.