rocket | Little Button Diaries

I have the smallest postage stamp of a garden, but despite its size I’m living proof that you don’t need a vast space to grow your own veg. I’m a big fan of growing things in recycled tubs and pots and this year I decided to grow some rocket in a rusty old supermarket basket I found in my Gran’s garage (good stealing Gran!). As a pretty solid weed, it took over in abundance and I was left wondering what I could do with mountains of rocket – and it has definitely got too cold for salads. So I decided to pull it all up and make some rocket pesto, which is actually a good peppery alternative to the basil version.

Ingredients:
A good bunch (about 50g) of rocket leaves
1 clove Garlic
salt
Juice from half a lemon
25g lightly toasted pine nuts
25g parmesan
125ml olive oil

Method:

Put the garlic, salt and nuts into a blender and pulse until finely chopped – don’t blend for too long or it will start to turn to a paste. Remove from the blender and do the same for the rocket leaves and lemon juice, Blending it briefly with a small dash of the oil.

Then remove and combine the nuts and rocket with the remaining oil, mixing well.

This can then be stored in the fridge and used in just the same way as basil pesto. I mixed mine into some cooked pasta, grated on some cheddar and breadcrumbs and gave it a blast in a hot oven. Very tasty it was too.