This is an excerpt from the article “Wild Mustard: Versatile + Adaptable” by Kalee Mund featured in the Spring Vol 3 | Issue 12 | 2025 edition of Botanical Anthology. To learn more about foraging and using wild mustard, check out the entire article in the magazine! Our herbal magazine, featuring remedies, recipes and projects with plants for the spring season, can be purchased as a digital version here and as a printed version here.
Wild mustard (Brassica arvensis) is a wild and potent plant that graces our fields and gardens. Embodying resilience and adaptability, it can actually be quite tenacious if unwanted. While many may overlook it as a mere weed, this humble plant is a treasure trove of culinary and medicinal benefits waiting to be embraced by those with an eye for herbal wisdom.
By incorporating wild mustard into our meals and medicine cabinet this spring we can let our bodies awaken to the earth’s rhythms and use the plants and flowers presented to us. Celebrating wild mustard’s flavors and recognizing its healing gifts as we transition into spring is a great way to be reminded of the abundance of nature. Typically gratitude is easy to find during the harvest or autumn months, but sometimes we need reminding of the bounty an early spring can bring.
Wild Mustard Greens Pesto
Use wild mustard greens to whip up a fresh pesto sauce that can be used on a pasta dish, steamed vegetables, as a dip with crackers, on rice or salads.
Materials:
- 1 c mustard greens, leaf and flower
- ½ c parsley
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Zest of one lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ c basil
- ¼ c pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ c olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Method:
Add all ingredients to the food processor and pulse till combined.
Blending Western and Eastern herbal traditions; Kalee has been practicing Ayurveda for over a decade with an emphasis on women’s health, birth and postpartum care. Kalee dedicates her time to her family, tending to their gardens and growing herbs. Creating products with ancient wisdom imbued in each one, and finding local analogues for the more exotic medicines. Follow along her journey @rasabotanicals and see some of her creations at rasaholistic.ca
