Rocket Pesto: three ingredients

I'm trying to eat something foraged or from the garden everyday, even when there is little around, and it means work! Like for this rocket salad! Old plants, all stringy, it took me 30 minutes to cut all the leaves of the stalks. But it was worth it! For the pesto I used the leaves, salted cashew nuts (the end of the packet, to collect all the salt - waste not!) and olive oil.

Great with any pasta, spaghetti the best for me here!

  Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

 

Beautiful Brown Lentil Salad with Edible Flowers

 

Ingredients

500 g brown lentils
1 leaf bay
water and salt for boiling
extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice
salt to taste
Cucumber, half
Rocket salad
Edible flowers 

A fresh lentil salad for summer! Soak the lentil overnight, then rinse well, add plenty of water, a bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Cook until 'al dente', or as soft as you like (but not mushy). Drain and briefly rinse under cold water. Place in a mixing bowl, add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt to taste, and half a cucumber chopped into small pieces. Mix well. Line a serving plate or large shallow bowl with rocket salad leaves, spoon the lentils on top, then sprinkle with petals and small edible flowers (I used borage, verbena, dianthus, calendula and cornflowers).

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Salad Sushi rolls and Ume topped Onigiri

Salad Sushi Rolls

Wash the sushi rice (or Japanese rice) several times in cold water, until the water runs clear, and then cook it by absorption. The doses are about 1 and 3/4 (three quarters) cups of sushi rice for 2 cups of water, but that depends on the type of pot. You need a pot with a good lid, or you will loose too much steam. I kind of regulate myself by ear now, since I know my pots and pans. Bring the pot to boiling point, lower the heat and simmer until all the water has been absorbed. Once the rice is ready pour it into a bowl and stir it with a wooden spatula, cooling it with a fan if you can. I then add some ready made sushi vinegar, about 2 tablespoons, but this is my personal taste. If I don't have sushi vinegar I use 2 tbsp of rice vinegar, a little sugar and a little salt (to taste, and I don't like to use too much sugar or salt!). Roll the rice with nori seaweed and the filling of your choice: I used carrots, takuan (Japanese pickled daikon) and rocket salad.

Clockwise from top left: Salad sushi with pickled ginger, edamame beans, plates for lunch, plum sake to drink and mandarins for dessert

 Onigiri

To make the rice balls cook some Japanese (or sushi) rice as explained above but do not dress with rice vinegar, leave it plain. Start working it when it is still warm: wet your hands with water, and rub them with just a little salt, then shape the balls with your palms, sticking a whole ume (Japanese pickled plum) in the middle while you are working. This time I didn't put the ume inside but on top, for visual effect, and added a violet (edible) for decoration.

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

With this recipe I take part in the contest VegetariaMo (Ricette Vegan) hosted by

Sapori di Elisa.

Rocket and Cashew Dip

Rocket, roasted cashews, lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt. The easiest dip ever!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Red Walnut and Rocket (rucola) Salad, and Red Walnut Pesto

This post comes from the diary of my trip to Austria, where I stayed with Imogen and Günther, who grow walnuts. Walnuts are one of the best nuts I know, and I was surprised to see that Imogen and Günther also have a tree (not commercial) of red walnuts. I have never seen red walnuts before, the shells are normal brown, but the kernels really red! Our hosts gave us some red walnuts, but also some walnut oil. In the photo above you can see the walnut plantation (only one tree produces the red walnuts).

For an easy salad mix the walnuts with rocket, walnut oil, salt, and lemon juice. Quick, healthy and good looking!

I decided to also make a walnut pesto for pasta. Using a mortar and pestle (or food processor if you don't have a mortar and pestle) mush the walnuts (I used the red ones, but you can use normal walnuts) with a peeled garlic clove, then slowly add some walnut oil (or olive oil), and a little salt and pepper to taste.

The pesto was great! I cooked some pasta with rocket (I added the rocket leaves to the pot a few minutes before draining the pasta), and I used the pesto as a sauce. We really liked it and I'll definitely make it again!

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Green Dip (watercress, rocket and basil)

I went foraging in the neighbor's property (he is cool about it) to pick some watercress. It is a bit late for watercress, the flowers are already out, but I could still pick some to mix to other greens to make a tasty dip.

Green Dip

Ingredients:

A mixture of watercress, rocket (rucola), and Genovese basil, (or any greens and herbs you like)

3 handfuls of cashew nuts

2 garlic cloves, peeled

a little water to blend

Salt to taste

Extra virgin olive oil to finish

Blend the first 4 ingredients, then add salt and olive oil to taste. Serve with homemade bread, as a dip or as a spread.

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Summer Salad with Flowers

Summer salad from my garden: rocket, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, orange and yellow calendula petals and borage flowers. Dressed with extra virgin olive oil, salt and a drop of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena.

Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©