Arugula (Rocket) & Garlic Pesto (to the rescue when there is no basil in the garden...)

I love pesto! And I grow enough fresh basil to last from spring until fall so I can have fresh pesto on hand for sandwiches and spreads or drizzled over tomatoes and burrata (yum!) every day of the week. But the second the first frost hits, the basil is the first thing to go, wilting with brown edges and melting back into the soil. Arugula however - or rocket as it's called in other parts of the world - will be there for you in the winter like a faithful friend.

Arugula thrives in cold temperatures and will even tolerate freezing temps and snow!

Try this fresh arugula pesto to get you through the cold weather and beyond!

Ingredients: fresh arugula from your garden (about two packed cups, 1/4 cup of fresh shaved parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, 2-3 garlic cloves, 1/3 cup olive oil and pine nuts or walnuts are optional.

This recipe is really straight forward. I'm basically making classic pesto and substituting fresh arugula leaves. I left out the pine nuts this time around but you can use pine nuts or walnuts for the extra hint of nutty flavor. Rocket pesto is more bitter than regular pesto, but if you like the pungent bitter flavor of many leafy greens or you are a fan of broccoli rabe, you will LOVE this.

Simply add the ingredients to your blender and process until smooth.

It's wonderful on slices of toasted baguette with a little extra parmesan, or heaped on roast pork sandwiches to balance out the fat. No matter what you do with it, you'll love having this super healthy snack on hand when the temps outside won't allow for basil, but your arugula is thriving!