Rocket Pesto

Our rocket patch in our back garden is pretty much the most dependable crop we have. It even sees us though a fair amount of the winter, leaves us for a short while, then pops up again come the next spring. Perhaps because it is almost always there we sometimes forget about it and then discover it could do with a bit of a cut back. Of course we never waste what we cut. After enjoying a few salads and sharing with friends without an abundance of their own, the next best thing is to somehow 'bottle' it. To this end we recently made a batch of rocket pesto and then enjoyed the results simply stirred through pasta. It was pretty nice and the one jar will continue to provide a few more hearty meals yet.

Pesto, like hummus, is one of those things that however much I start following a recipe I often feel the need to tweak it to my own personal taste, not just with quantities but also with the actual ingredients. So, as with most of my recipes, I encourage you to experiment and adjust. For instance, if I was making the following recipe purely for myself I would have ramped up the garlic but it would have led to complaints from Phil. You could also try swapping the pine nuts for another nut. Basically I made this recipe up as I blended and tasted and so could you!

Make It Up As You Go Along Rocket Pesto

50g pine nuts
2 large handfuls of rocket
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 teaspoon of garlic paste
Pinch of salt (if garlic paste isn't salted)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (optional)

1. Blend the pine nuts to a rough powder.

2. Gradually add the rocket bit by bit until well incorporated.

3. Add in the nutritional yeast, salt (if using) and garlic paste.

4. Drizzle the oil in whilst the blender is still running.

5. Add in the lemon juice and then at this point have a taste as you might like it enough to leave it there.

6. If you think "yep, it's okay but I'm feeling it needs something else", then try adding the Worcestershire sauce and the balsamic vinegar.

7. Taste and adjust, taste and adjust. It's the way to go!

Enjoy!