Rocket Pesto

 This year we've got a bumper crop of rocket.

It is a self seeded bed that happily does it's own thing.

It is so abundant that we've given up picking individual leaves

and are pulling up whole plants and snipping off the leaves.

It is wonderful in a salad, stuffed in a sandwich, under a poached egg or scattered over mushrooms on toast. The flavour it imparts is delicious. 

We can certainly eat a lot!

However I wanted to create with it. I wanted Pesto!

I have tried pesto before but the added lemon in the recipe made it sharp and unpleasant.

So I played about.

The result is a beautiful blend of subtle creaminess
that balances the peppery sharpness of the rocket.

Success! 

Simply stirred through fresh pasta with more rocket wilted through and walnuts scattered over. 

Delicious!

Similarly it was yummy stirred through
new potato gnocchi with end of season asparagus.

Rocket Pesto 

70g fresh rocket
40g finely grated parmesan
60g toasted walnuts
half garlic clove finely chopped (remember it is raw and too much is harsh)
120ml olive oil
25 ml water (helps create an emulsion)
salt and pepper to taste

Simply blitz to a paste and season to taste
Keep in a sealed jar and refrigerate

A rocket infused weekend resulted in one of the best pizzas I've ever tasted! 

A  thick smear of pesto baked with buffalo mozzarella

then rocket wilted ...

Nothing groundbreaking but reassuringly scrummy!

Sunday ended with rocket and spinach risotto
with a few dollops stirred through for good measure.

Which was frankly sublime.

I plan on making a whole lot more.

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