(photo by Chronicles of the Kitchen blog)
Eating gluten free can be a challenge sometimes, but since I discovered my gluten intolerance, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten better or healthier. Having to look in new places and to new ingredients has opened up a food world to me that I truly enjoy. Meals are more like art, and eating is more sacred.
Pesto was something I had never even heard of until 10 years ago, and that was basil pesto. I was hooked on the stuff immediately. Now I spend the summers picking basil and standing over my food processor to make pesto that will last all winter long. Well, just when I though my pesto experience was at its height, my friend Christie introduced me to a variation: sun dried tomato pesto. It was in the North End of Boston at a quaint little Italian market. We had taken a friend to the airport, but just couldn’t seem to leave the city without at stop at this wonderful place. We loaded up on cheeses, prosciutto, bread (for her), gluten free crackers (Yes, they carried them there!) for me, and some sun dried tomato pesto. We snacked on our purchases all the way home, and I fell in love with this delicious concoction. Wow ~ so good!
Last week, craving pesto, sunshine, and vine ripe tomatoes, while watching the snow flurries come out of the gray sky (Boo!), I decided to pull out the tomatoes that I had dried and frozen last summer and try to replicate the pesto. Well, it worked! It was even a close match to the delicious pesto from Boston. I had to put half the batch in a small mason jar and give it to Christie, so she could share in a little bit of North End and even a little summer sunshine!
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
2 cups sun dried tomatoes (drained if packed in oil)
1/2 cup Parmesan (or Parm~Romano blend)
1/2 cup fresh basil (or 2Tbsp basil pesto ~ I used my frozen pesto)
4 Tbsp pine nuts (or pecans or walnuts)
6 cloves garlic
1 cup olive oil
Place first five ingredients in food processor or high powered blender and blend, adding oil as the processor goes. You may need to blend for longer than you expect, but continue until you have a thoroughly blended and pesto-like consistency.
Spread on pizzas, fresh bread, or toss with pasta ~ or just dig in immediately with some gluten free crackers!