Garlic Mustard, turn a forest pest into tasty pesto...

Garlic Mustard, turn a forest pest into tasty pesto...

Garlic mustard is an invasive plant found in many state parks in Iowa. You can help eradicate this invasive plant by serving it for supper tonight!

Garlic mustard leaves can be eaten fresh in salads or used in any recipe calling for mustard greens. Ensure the plants are clean and free of any chemical treatments. Plants may be dried or sautéed to add spice to any favorite recipes. Do not replant this invasive into your herb gardens. There is plenty to go around and many opportunities in Iowa's state parks for collecting.

Bon appétit!

Garlic Mustard Pesto and Pasta
Makes 4 cups
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons garlic mustard taproots
3/4 cup parsley
1 cup garlic mustard leaves
1 1/2 cups basil leaves
1 1/2 cups olives
2 cups walnuts or 3/4 cup pine nuts
1 1/4 cups olive oil (or as needed)
2 cups grated Parmesan

In food processor:
1. chop garlic and garlic mustard roots
2. add parsley, garlic, garlic mustard leaves and basil and chop
3. add nuts and chop coarsely
4. add olive oil and process until you've created a coarse paste. Add to cooked pasta and toss well.

Garlic mustard was brought from Europe in the 1800s for culinary and medicinal purposes. In the wild this invasive species can quickly dominate the forest floor choking out wildflowers ferns and trees seedlings. High in vitamins a and C., the plant smells like garlic and resembles mustard plant or Creeping Charlie. While most animals dislike the taste, cooks are rediscovering its culinary roots and are biting back.

For reclaiming the woods, the best control method is to pull and dispose of the plants prior to seed production.

Collecting tips:
April through June, pull the plant and its entire root structure.

Search semi-shaded forests, especially along trails.

Plant parts have a garlic like odor when crushed.

Discard uneaten portions in the garbage to help prevent the plant from spreading.

One plant can produce hundreds of seeds that remain viable up to five years, once seeds start shedding, stay away from the plant to help minimize spreading.

Reprinted from Iowa Outdoors Magazine, May/June 2010