Rocket

Posted on 09. Oct, 2011 by Tracey in Veg Plot

Rocket is one of my favourite songs by Def Leppard, check out the video here for some classic 80′s cheesy rock and Rocket is also one of the strongest tasting vegetables I have grown this year. Its peppery-ness is so strong from just one tiny leaf lobe, it beats the Scarlet Globe Radish hands down, which caught me off guard earlier this year with a kick to the back of my throat.

Bunch of Growing Rocket

As I’ve got plenty of Rocket in the vegetable plot, my attention has turned to what to do with it all and by the look at all the recipes I have come across it is a very versatile vegetable in the kitchen.

Sow Rocket: June to October
Harvest Rocket: July to November
Varieties:
Esmee (MoreVeg), Va-Va-Voom (Dobies),
Rocket Salad (Sarah Raven’s Kitchen & Garden).

Rocket Recipes to Try:

Rocket and Caramelised Onions with Goats Cheese
A lovely nutty, salty, tangy combination of ingredients and I’m going to use my shallots in place of the onions.

Cherry Tomato, Wild Strawberry and Rocket Salad
I know rocket and tomato are a classic combination, but I’m not so sure about the strawberry addition. I’ll give it ago as I’m intrigued to see what it will taste like.

Rocket Soup
Autumn is the season of soup making and I have shallots (from harvest earlier this year) and potatoes. Looks like this recipe is going to be made sooner rather than later.

Rocket Soup

Roast Beef and Rocket Salad
Finally a recipe for those lazy sunday’s and it uses up your leftover roast beef meat. All topped off with crispy croutons and an avocado mayonnaise. Am I making your mouth water yet?

Chorizo, Red Pepper and Rocket Rolls
Chorizo, a continental smokey flavoured meat of the moment which I tend to use in the kitchen quite a lot, combined with red pepper, rocket and goats cheese filling to the rolls, this recipe is more of a starter or light snack.

Watercress, Spinach and Rocket Pesto
A spin on the usual basil pesto using a few favorite green leaves including watercress to the original pine nut and olive oil recipe, this is easy to make and store in jars in the fridge. Use for pasta dishes or as a salad dressing.

Asparagus and Lemon Spaghetti with Pine Nuts and Rocket
An easy to make pasta dish with a hint of lemon and can be spiced up with the addition of chilli flakes.

Rocket Pasta

Braised Peas, Rocket and Spring Onions
A simple but tasty classic combination of onion, peas with a peppery burst. It can be used as a side dish or base for roast chicken or other cooked meats.

Pappardelle with roasted pumpkin, sage and rocket
A seasonal dish with pumpkin or butternut squash which is almost harvesting time with the addition of warm pasta is the perfect meal for those cold autumn nights.