Prep time:

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Total time:

Serves: 1

2 Large Flat Mushrooms

1tsp Pesto

75g Goat's Cheese

1tsp Sunflower Seeds

1tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A Couple of Fresh Thyme Leaves

Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

A quick lunch or light supper, making the best of some wonderful local ingredients, so just the thing to make for lunch after a trip to my favourite farmer’s market at Penshurst. Serve with a winter salad of leaves and crusty bread to wipe up any juices.

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C Gas Mark 6. Remove stalks from mushrooms. Spread pesto over inside of mushrooms and place on a small baking sheet. Slice goat’s cheese and arrange over mushrooms and scatter over sunflower seeds.
  2. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter with thyme leaves. Season and bake for 12-15 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.

Local food tip: Ouse Valley Foods pestos come in several flavours and although I usually have a pot of classic basil pesto in my fridge, so use it for this dish, I also love the Spinach and Sorrel, and Parsley, Watercress and Rocket.

  • words:
  • pictures: David Merewether

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