Wild Chive, Arugula, and Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta

Tonight's dinner came courtesy of Mother Nature and was almost entirely free, except for the pasta, slivered almonds, sea salt, and olive oil.

This time of year wild edibles in the allium family (chives, ramps, garlic) and greens (dandelion) are in abundance, and they make the perfect ingredients for a quick meal.

Last year's crop of collard and kale are putting on a blazing show of yellow flowers in my garden (making the bees happy!), and they're still producing tender green leaves.  The arugula is also flowering, and the leaves are sharp and spicy, making a nice base for pesto.

I added some garlic scapes, chives, slivered almonds, olive oil, and sea salt to the food processor and whisked up a batch of pesto to toss with penne pasta.

After blanching a generous handful of collards, kale, and dandelion greens, I tossed everything together.  This lovely meal came together in 15 minutes and it was ideal for a spring cleanse.