By Tracey Bailey, Biome founder
I've made a lot of pesto from my garden but this recipe makes the best ever. It is less oily than using pine nuts, and a less intense flavour than purely basil. Nothing can beat the true flavour of home grown rocket, so I hope to inspire you to grow your own to make this recipe!
Toasting the pepita seeds and also cooking the garlic a little first made all the difference. I'm not a fan of raw garlic, so cooking off the garlic briefly at the end of the toasting the pepitas worked so well.
Rocket is one of the easiest greens to grow and can be grown for months in much of Australia. The cooler months of Autumn and Spring are perfect for lush growth. I recommend mass planting from either seeds or two punnets of seedlings planted quite close together. It seems to do better when supporting each other - just like humans! :)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup raw pepita seeds
- 3 cups mixed rocket stems and basil leaves
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon, plus 3 tablespoons of juice
- 2 good teaspoons of chickpea miso paste* OR 1/4 cup grated parmesan of your choice (including vegan parmesan)
- 2 large cloves garlic - chopped roughly
- 1/2 teaspoon Tasman sea salt, or more to taste
- Generous fresh ground black pepper
- Water as needed
Method
Toast pepitas in a dry pan until slightly brown. Just before they are ready, add a little olive oil and the chopped garlic. Toss briefly till garlic is golden.
Place all the ingredients in a food processor, except for the olive oil. Pour in half the olive oil and blitz. Stop occasionally and clean down the sides with a spatula. Add more olive oil and blitz again. If needed, add a little water to thin it down. Keep blitzing until your desired consistency.
Keep in a small glass jar in the fridge.
Use as a dip, on crackers or sandwiches, stirred through pasta or other grains.
*A note about chickpea miso. I recently found out I am allergic to soy (sad for a vegan). So this Chickpea miso has been a saviour. In this recipe it perfectly replaces the sharpness and saltiness of parmesan. Made from fermented chickpeas instead of soyeans, Chickpea miso still has a umami flavour but is less salty and a little more sweet than soy miso.
*A note about Tasman Sea Salt. Compared with Celtic sea salt flakes, Australia's very own Tasman sea salt is:
- harvested from much cleaner, pristine waters off Tasmania
- lower in sodium than Celtic sea salt
- contains the same beneficial sea minerals and nutrients
- more flavourful
- naturally pure white flakes, not grey
- evaporated with clean energy
- a better choice for the environment.
Learn more here about Why Tasman Sea Salt.
Grow your own rocket
It's easy to grow your own rocket in a pot on a balcony or deck, or in a garden bed or veggie patch. Little Veggie Patch Rocket Seeds or Select Organic Rocket Seeds
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