Eat the Invaders!

I've been pulling invasive garlic mustard out of my woods and fields the last few weeks. While yanking out the fast-growing, prolifically seeding invaders, the garlicky aroma of the leaves got me thinking that I should be eating it. Usually I throw the pulled up plants in the garbage so they don't spread through my compost pile.

Garlic mustard in flower

You can imagine how excited I was to come across a website called Eat the Invaders! which promotes eating invasive plant and animal species as a way to control them. The website has recipes and cooking tips for invasive thugs like japanese knotweed, curly dock, garlic mustard, and even for invasive animals like nutria (looks similar to a guinea pig) and carp. 

Here's a recipe from the website for

Garlic Mustard Pesto

Wildman Steve Brill has served this pesto on his tours of Central Park in New York. He told us we could post it, with a link to his website.

4 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons garlic mustard taproots
3/4 cups parsley
1 cup garlic mustard leaves
1 cup basil
2 cups walnuts or pine nuts
1/2 cup mellow miso
1 1/4 cup olive oil or as needed

Chop the garlic and garlic mustard roots in a food processor.

Add the parsley, garlic, garlic mustard and basil and chop.

Add the nuts and chop coarsely.

Add the olive oil and miso and process until you’ve created a coarse paste.

Makes 4 cups

Weed 'em and reap!