Rocket & Walnut Pesto

This delicious pesto is so versatile - I use it stirred into pasta, mixed with mayonnaise as a salad dressing, stirred with tuna for a sandwich filling, spread on rice cakes for lunch - the possibilities are endless!

  

200g walnuts

100g rocket

250ml extra virgin olive oil

60g Parmesan

2 cloves garlic

Juice of a lemon

1.  Coarsely grate or shave the Parmesan and coarsely chop the garlic. (If you have time, roast the walnuts in a dry frying pan for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and allow to cool.)

 2.  Add the walnuts, rocket, Parmesan, garlic and half the olive oil to the bowl of a food processor (metal blade).

3.  Whizz, scraping down the sides, until the walnuts and rocket are finely chopped.

4.  Add the remaining olive oil and lemon juice and whizz, scraping as necessary, until you get the texture you require.

5.  Store, covered, in the fridge for up to a week.

Marion's Lemon Fluff Cake

A delightfully easy recipe from my good friend, Marion.

Cuts into 8-12 slices

115g (4 oz) digestive biscuits

60g (2 oz) butter

1 level tbsp castor sugar

150 ml (¼ pt) crème fraîche

175g (6 oz) tinned condensed milk

Finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons

Juice of 2 lemons

1. Crush the biscuits, melt the butter in a pan and add in the sugar. Blend in the crushed biscuits and mix.
2. Put the mixture in an 18 cm (7") pie/flan dish and press in with the back of a spoon. Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 8 minutes. Take out and leave to cool.
3. Mix together the creme fraiche,  condensed milk and lemon zest. When mixed, SLOWLY add the lemon juice, a few drips at a time, mixing well.
4. Pour the mixture into the biscuit case and chill for 12 - 24 hours for best results.

You can decorate the top of the cake with cocoa powder, grated dark chocolate, lemon slices, kiwi slices, anything you fancy.

Keeps well in the fridge for up to a week.