Difficulty Level Easy

I surprised myself a little bit this week. I went to the farmers’ market and didn’t buy and wild leeks, even though this is probably the last week for them. I guess I was beginning to feel leek fatigue. Or perhaps is was fickle of me, but I was on to pheasant back mushrooms, arugula, spinach and the first of the Ontario strawberries.

However, I can have wild leeks later in the season because I made pesto with what I had left from last week's trip to the market. I can pop it into the freezer in small portions (ice cube trays work well) and just defrost them when I want a bit of spring flavour. The pesto I made was pretty strong because I had left them too long and the greens don’t really hold up that long, so I ended up mostly with the bulbs. Normally I would have used everything except the root.

Once you’ve made the pesto you can use it for pasta which is pretty standard, or you can use it on fish or vegetables or you can use it for a base for a white pizza, which is what I did. I bought a flatbread and spread a thin layer of pesto on it. Don’t use too much, a little goes a long way. I kept the toppings pretty simple, just adding some mozzarella cheese, some orange peppers and some green olives.

These measurements are approximate. You might use more or less olive oil, depending on the consistency you desire. I didn’t add the butter and cheese to it because I was making the pizza, but you’ll want it if you are making pasta. Use a bit of the pasta cooking water to make it into more of a sauce. Also leave out the cheese and butter if you plan on freezing it. If pine nuts are too expensive for you, then substitute walnuts.

INGREDIENTS