Garlic mustard is edible? Who knew!

Turns out garlic mustard is more than just an invasive species! It’s an edible invasive species! So grab a few plants and get cooking!

Garlic mustard was originally brought to the U.S. in 1868 by European settlers to be used for food and medicine purposes. It’s now considered an invasive species throughout the Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and Western portions of the U.S.
It’s even found in Alaska! If only our settlers knew it would take over our natural areas, choking out native plant species such as the spring beauty, wild ginger, bloodroot, trilliums and toothwort, and native butterfly species such as the West Virginia white, mustard white, and the falcate orange-tip.

What about our furry friends? Do they munch on the plant and help keep garlic mustard in check? The answer is no. Unfortunately, wildlife seems to dislike the plant, possibly due to the garlic smell that’s released when the leaves or stems are crushed. Deer are even known to eat all the plants around garlic mustard, leaving it more room to spread. And one volunteer even experimented by feeding it to her two pet bunnies, with no such luck! So I guess humans are the only ones who dare to eat it! According to the book, “From Pest to Pesto” garlic mustard is high in vitamins A and C. So it’s a great addition to our diets.

You might be asking, how can I use garlic mustard in a recipe? It can be used in pesto, lemon sauces, ravioli, and on pizza, just to name a few.

Here’s one recipe:

Garlic Mustard and Spinach Raviolis with Garlic Mustard Pesto
Developed by Robert Dunn, Executive Chef, Belmont Conference Center

Raviolis:

– 4 shallots / 1 clove garlic
– 2 cups spinach
– 2 cups garlic mustard
– 4 oz. ricotta cheese
– 2 oz. Parmesan cheese
– 2 oz. chopped sun dried tomatoes
– 6 sheets fresh pasta

Sauté shallots and garlic in 2 Tbl butter until tender. Add spinach and garlic mustard greens & wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and cool slightly. Squeeze excess liquid from green and chop. Combine all ingredients and season to taste. Cut pasta sheets to desired size. Egg wash pasta and fill with garlic mustard and spinach mixture.

Pesto:

– 1 cup garlic mustard
– 1/2 cup basil
– 3 cloves garlic
– 2 oz. toasted pine nuts
– 4 oz. olive oil
– juice of 1 lemon

In food processor combine all ingredients except olive oil. Puree and add olive oil with processor running. Toss cooked raviolis with pesto.

Time required: 1 hr. Serves 10.

Check out the Kalamazoo Nature Center’s “From Pest to Pesto” cookbook where you’ll find even more recipes for garlic mustard. You can purchase the cookbook for only $5!

Also check out the Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council for its own creative list of recipes! From appetizers to desserts, there’s something for everyone!

Some more web links:

Nourishing Days website

Garlic Mustard Recipes

Happy eating!

Source: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/alpe.htm