Garlic Mustard Boursin-Style Cheese

I'm not trained as a botanist, but as time goes on, I'm gaining a real appreciation for it. Knowing the basic characteristics of plant families gives a forager a better conception of the relationship between plants, and allows for much more comfort in the field, particularly when encountering unknown species.

A few weeks ago while I was out hunting morels, I came upon a plant I'd never before seen.  Given that its flowers each had four petals, and where arranged on the stalk in a spiral-staircase pattern, and that the leaves had a distinctly pungent odor when crushed between my fingers, I knew I had some sort of mustard on my hands.

Naturally, I was pretty excited, since I'm featuring mustards for Wild Things in May, and generally like eating them. My balloon of happiness burst, however, when I discovered the identity of my mystery plant upon consulting a guide.  It was garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata, the dreaded invasive that has taken over a great swath of the eastern US.  I had heard my friends east of the Mississippi tell many stories about how this plant crowded out natives, and took over their yard, nearby parking lots, beloved wild areas, and more.  You see, the plant actually chemically prevents other plants from growing in the area.

Seeing garlic mustard for the first time in my area was bad news.  I looked it up at the USDA, which was only showing it in two counties of my state.  For the first time ever, I filed a report with the agency, showing evidence of the presence of the invasive plant in my area.

If there is any up side to invasive species, it is that you can eat unlimited amounts of them without feeling bad. As you might imagine, garlic mustard has a pungent mustard-y green meets garlic flavor that makes it a nice ingredient in a number of recipes from pesto, to chimichurri, and more, although some find it to be disagreeable.  This was my first experience with garlic mustard, but others have told me that young growth is the best for eating, and that older plants possess more pungent bitterness. Sadly, including garlic mustard in your meals won't make much of a dent in their population.  To rid an area of the plant may be difficult, and you have to remove all plants by the root before they flower and seed.  Click here to learn more about identifying garlic mustard.

Garlic Mustard Boursin-Style Cheese

4 oz. goat chevre
2 oz. cream cheese
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4-1/2 c. chopped garlic mustard leaves
2 Tbsp. chopped dill
freshly cracked black pepper
salt

1. In a medium bowl, mash together the goat cheese, cream cheese, and olive oil with a fork until they are evenly combined.

2.  Stir in the chopped garlic mustard and dill.

3.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.