Tasty Tuesday....

There will be a couple of posts today - the boys had dentist appts, Hannah was in art class and I'll have a beautiful painting to share later and then I grow my own herbs and I wanted to share with you my basic pesto recipe as well as a torte recipe that I got from my dear friend Amy Z. when I lived in Charleston! So be sure to check back, there will be pictures galore added!

PESTO
2 Cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh)
¾ cup olive oil
2 TBLS pine nuts
4 cloves garlic

Blend all ingredients on medium speed, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides – blend until smooth.

PESTO DIP: Stir in 1 8oz carton of sour cream. Serve w/ fresh veggies or pita chips

PESTO AIOLI: 1 cup mayo, 1-2 tblsp fresh pesto, stir and serve on your favorite grilled sandwiches or paninis!

***Another tip I learned from my Granny Shirl years ago is to make up the pesto minus the parm cheese. Fill each slot in a plastic ice cube tray with the pesto and freeze. Once frozen, empty the trays into a ziploc bag. Now each time you want a little fresh pesto all you have to do is take out a cube or two, thaw, add Parmesan cheese and cook or use as desired. Needless to say I always have fresh pesto around my house, it's a favorite among my kids.

CHEESY PESTO AND SUNDRIED TOMATO TORTE: (this is a beautiful appetizer to bring to parties- gets oooohhhs and aahhhhs every time!)
3-8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic
7 oz of homemade pesto (chilled)
1 jar (8oz) oil packed sun-dried tomatoes-well drained

Blend cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and garlic in blender/processor. Divide into thirds
Line 5-cup mold or loaf pan, 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ inches with plastic wrap. Spoon 1/3 of the cheese mixture in bottom of mold; smooth top w/ spatula. Spoon pesto evenly over cheese layer. Spoon one-third of cheese mixture over pesto layer; smooth top w/ spatula. Spoon tomatoes evenly over second cheese layer. Spoon remaining cheese mixture over tomatoes. Strike filled mold on counter to pack down. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 days.
When ready to serve, invert mold onto serving platter. Remove plastic wrap and serve w/ baguette slices.

Yields 5 cups of spread