leeked memo

It never occurred to me that Bärlauch—the leaves of which we’ve gathered in the woods before—signified anything else but a kind of wild garlic but it translates quite literally (reflected too in its scientific Latin name Allium ursinum) to bears’ leek for bears’ taste for these plants. Also known as buckrams, I guess the closest equivalent outside Europe to this broad leaved plant is chives. It makes a good base for pesto and with a few other ingredients, makes an excellent, fresh spaghetti dish.

For two servings, one will need:

• Approximately 225 grams of dry spaghetti noodles
• 150 grams of fresh Bärlauch leaves (washed, and use extra caution if one is gathering them oneself as they can be easily mistaken for poisonous plants that thrive in the same setting)
• One dried chili pepper or one tablespoon of ground 
• Salt, black pepper for seasoning 
• Vegetable broth 
• Parmesan cheese for garnish 
• 100 millilitre of good olive oil for cooking 

Following the directions on the pasta packaging, prepare the spaghetti to al dente consistency in a pot of vegetable broth (this is a way to make all pasta dishes a little more flavourful). In the meantime, dice the garlic, the chili pepper (use caution as this can make one’s meal very spicy) and the Bärlauch leaves (without the stems) and fry in the olive oil for approximately two minutes (the garlic ought not to brown). Drain the pasta and serve immediately topped with parmesan.