The plant seems to ending it's crop now so I picked all I could this morning and combined it with what we had in the fridge to make a surprisingly AMAZING pesto!
It is SO simple to make. I've been meaning to try it for ages and I'm so glad I have now!
So I picked from the garden and thoroughly washed the leaves to remove all remains of soil - and the green caterpillar hiding amongst them!
I went through the leaves, tearing off parts that other creatures may have got to and making sure to take off any stems.
They're so beautifully green!
I toasted off some pine nuts in a pan over a medium heat. Don't be afraid of letting them warm through but keep an eye on them as they can catch easily. Mine ALMOST did!
I slightly blitzed the leaves and pine nuts before adding the other ingredients.
I wanted to make sure they had a head start!
Next I added the finely shaved pecorino cheese, 2 cloves of crushed garlic and 1 tbsp of lemon juice.
You whizz them in the food processor but not too much because you want some texture.
This is not enough. But I stopped it here to season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Your finished pesto should be smooth with still some texture from the leaves, nuts and cheese.
I lay some cling film in ramequins so that the pesto can be wrapped.
I popped them into the freezer so that we can have a taste of summer during the winter months.
I may also have tasted some left in the food processor.......well, you have to don't you!
Rocket/Arugula pesto
around 120g rocket
70g pine nuts
8 tbsp of olive oil (I may have put in 9 1/2!)
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed. (Always 2 for me!)
50g pecorino cheese, finely grated
1tbsp lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
Place all your ingredients into a food processor and puree until the mix is almost smooth but still has texture.
Season to taste.
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