Summer Squash Pesto Bites - perfect for canapes

I am so pleased with this appetiser idea! 
(Summer squash look like - and are really - yellow courgettes.  They have a taste of pumpkin, though, and the seeds are scrummy!)

 

We had some cold meats to serve and these added another texture and flavour.  Please note - these were the first of our tomatoes to grow!! 4 sweet red baby plums :)
I posted a recipe for my homegrown arugula/rocket pesto in July.  I put it in the freezer, as promised, and I planned to enjoy it in the colder months but I had a brainwave for an appetiser idea.

Nick cut the summer squash with a mandolin for me.  If you don't have one, just try and cut the vegetable thinly and evenly.

Chargrill the pieces until they are just golden.  I love the lines created by the pan.  Don't grill them too much otherwise the seeds come loose and the squash becomes too floppy.

Let the squash pieces cool down.  Nick some cling film (plastic wrap) over the bowl while we went to water the garden, which could have made them too wet.  They turned out ok but next time I would let them dry a little.

Lay them out and use a teaspoon to spread some pesto on each one.

Roll them up and stand in a cluster to serve with your cold meats.

 

They are cool and nutty with the mixture of squash seeds and pine nuts.

My Mum LOVED these, which is a good compliment!

Home grown Arugula/Rocket pesto

At one point we had so much rocket/arugula growing in the garden, we couldn't keep eating it all.  The home grown plant seems a lot more peppery than the shop bough salad bags.

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.