What can we substitute? No garlic greens

What can we substitute if we can’t find garlic greens? I don’t think we can find it safely

hpnyknits
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Crispy Potatoes with Garlic Mustard Pesto
Recipe question for: Crispy Potatoes with Garlic Mustard Pesto

3 Comments

Melina H.
Melina H. August 31, 2022
Garlic mustard is a seasonal, wild (and easily identifiable) ingredient. It is also invasive, which means you cannot risk over-harvesting it. Look for it in spring and fall in abundance. To emulate its flavor, use 1 bunch sauteed or steamed broccoli rabe. For a delicious but somewhat different sauce, simply use the same quantity spinach, or arugula. Hope this helps, and brings you to delicious results!
 
702551
702551 August 31, 2022
Do you have a photo of this plant you can post? The recipe only includes a beauty shot of the final dish.

Clearly people who aren't familiar with it can use a search engine but there might be different varieties of this plant based on region.

Your photo would also serve to show at what point in the plant's maturity you would harvest it. Looking at random photos of plants online doesn't indicate the optimal criteria for picking, especially since some plants (e.g. tomatoes, peppers) can be harvested at different moments to provide different results.

Thank you in advance!
 
702551
702551 August 31, 2022
Any flavorful leafy green vegetable is a candidate. This recipe was published in April and it is clearly using a seasonal, local ingredient, possibly foraged. In some parts of the world, ramps (wild garlic) might be a suitable substitute. There's nothing here that would prevent you from mixing two (like ramps and baby spinach).

If you are trying to make this now, ramps and garlic mustard are out of season, so consider another crop that is commercially grown through a longer season like arugula, watercress, or similar greens. You could even add some garlic to get closer to the taste of the original sauce.

Best of luck.
 
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