Rocket Pesto stuffed mushrooms

Another glut in the garden - this time we are inundated with wild rocket its popping up all over and although I love the peppery spicy leaves in salad, you can only eat so many. Previous forays into warm rocket cookery have had mixed results, its fine strewed on pasta, pizzas and the like but I am yet to be convinced with rocket soup. I have made homemade pesto a few times previously with basil and even nasturtium leaves but never rocket until now. 

The pesto is easy to make especially if you have a food processor / blender, just blitz clean rocket leaves, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts or breadcrumbs until you have a thick green paste, use this in this recipe or alternatively stirred through pasta or spread on hot from the oven fresh bread.

What you need 

• Qty of rocket pesto
• Fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 or 2 large field mushrooms - stalks removed
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Baby cherry tomatoes - sliced 
• Cheese (Lancashire, cheddar, local goats would all work) - grated or broken into little chunks
• Sea salt and pepper

What you do

• Place your mushrooms in an oven proof dish gill side up.
• Pre heat your oven to 180c.
• In the base of the mushrooms place the sliced cherry tomatoes, then spoon in the pesto and some breadcrumbs, top with cheese and a little more breadcrumbs.
• Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil
• Bake for 15 -20 minutes until the mushroom is tender and cooked, the cheese has melted and the breadcrumbs golden.
• Delicious served as a light lunch or supper dish or as a starter.