So, the picture above is a garlic mustard. It’s an invasive species of plants, belonging to the mustard family. The plant was brought over from Europe in the 1860’s and having no natural enemies in North America, it is doing well. Maybe you’ve seen it. Unfortunately, it dominates other native plants and changes the natural flora of local regions throughout North America. Because of this, many conservation minded communities do something called Garlic Mustard Pulls, where they gather in large teams and “pull” the plant out of the ground, being sure to pull out the tap root in the process.

I never heard of it until Ayr told me that the town he lives in, does garlic mustard pulls. So he brought me in a bunch. The leaves and root are edible and are mild in flavor, but have a slightly garlicky aroma. So I came up with this salad to celebrate pulling Garlic-mustard each Spring. Garlic mustard pesto, broccoli, oven roasted tomatoes and whole wheat pasta. If you try it today, be sure to let us know what you think.