Our Garden of Delights

As you may have guessed I've been making a bit of basil pesto in my spare time and freezing it for those cooler autumn and cold winter days when comfort food is at its height. It will be refreshing and bright to have on hand and savour the flavour of our summer.  

 

More than a handful however here are just some of the many juicy tomatoes that have come from our wee garden and made it to our kitchen. Nestled in sandwiches, tossed in salads, simmered in sauces or ate as is, nothing compares to their fragrancy, bright bold colour and taste.  

Here is the infamous basil plant that has given so much and created some flavourful dishes. It was much taller before I took this photo but then again we have used so much already. The regrowth of this plant is amazing and I am sure by the end of the season we will have a bunch of lovely dried basil. The oregano plant we chose to leave inside, is much smaller, is thriving so well too.   

Our glorious tomatoes in action and blazing in the hot sun. Regrowth has been steady which has made for such a great tomato year in our garden. We also have peppers, both sweet and hot and their offering although fruitful has been a bit slower especially with the sweet peppers.  Last year we had such a wonderful yield with them that I had to freeze the remaining ones at the end of the season. Which was great as it provided us with peppers throughout winter. This year I think the hot peppers will exceed the sweet peppers, which is absolutely fine.  

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

 

Basil pesto has its exquisite herbaceous appeal however sun-dried tomato pesto or Pesto Rosso as it is known in most parts of Southern Italy, has a sumptuously sweet tangy flavour. This recipe has the addition of a few fresh oregano leaves to give a subtle herb hint and cashews were used instead of almonds or walnuts. Another breezy meal that is deliciously glorious and savoury, and even better the next day, if there are any leftovers.       

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

1/3 cup unsalted cashew pieces

2 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

1 cup julienne style sun-dried tomatoes

5 - 6 fresh oregano leaves 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2/3 cup extra olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (not parmesan)

Using a food processor, chop the cashews and garlic together.

Add the basil leaves, sundried-tomatoes, oregano leaves and salt and pepper and blend together until finely chopped.

Keep the food processor running and slowly add the olive oil. Then add the Parmigiano cheese and blend until smooth. 

Store in an air tight container with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent browning. The pesto will keep in the refrigerator for about a week or freeze for up to 6 months. 

Notes: If you cannot find Parmigiano Reggiano cheese then use another cheese such as Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Sardo, Gana Padano or Parmesan. You can substitute the cashews with almonds. If you have whole sun-dried tomatoes I recommend to roughly chop them a bit before using them. 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Tomato and Ricotta Cheese Pesto

 

Leftover pesto pasta can be spruced up by a handful of rocket (arugula), a delicate sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a few dashes of hot sauce. This tasty leftover may be lunch or dinner easily within minutes and makes the next day pesto just as delicious as fresh pesto! 

- JD 

Chicken Tomato Pesto Pasta

Now if saying that isn't a mouthful then I don't know what is. I made this the other night. It was quick and easy... providing you have some left over roasted chicken in your refrigerator. Sometimes you need something quick!  

First I cooked the pasta, according to the package and then drained the spaghettini. A tip on draining pasta... don't complete drain all the liquid off, leave the pasta with a little bit on makes it easier for sauces to coat the pasta. Since I was cooking for five people I transfered the drained pasta into a large bowl. Once in the large bowl I added some already prepared low salt tomato pesto, enough to coat all the pasta. Added a few lugs of olive oil. Some pepper, paprika and chives. Making sure that the pasta gets coated well. Then I added the diced roasted chicken. I saved the parmesan cheese to be added at the dinner table just in case someone didn't want any.

Simple if you have a few things on hand. A great way to use left overs. I know I used a prepared pesto sauce however we are all pressed for time and having that tiny jar was great. When using anything prepared I do try to get the healthiest of the bunch. Low salt, low fat, low sugar. I do read my labels. Something that I have taught my kidlets to do at a young age. There are many ways you can change this dish up. Adding different types of meat or soy, veggies, spices, oils and pastas. -JW