Recipe - Dried Tomato-Basil Pesto With Hint Of Cocoa

One half cup Sundried tomatoes; blanched
and chopped
One fourth cup Walnut pieces; toasted
1/3 cup Firmly packed fresh basil
2 Cloves garlic; minced
One half cup Chopped fresh tomatoes;
seeded and drained
One fourth teaspoon Salt
One fourth teaspoon Fresh thyme
One fourth teaspoon Cocoa powder
One fourth cup Grated romano cheese
2 tablespoon Olive oil
1 tablespoon Canola oil
1 tablespoon Cold water
2 teaspoon Red wine vinegar

Dried tomatoes should be blanched before using. Place in boiling water for
2 minutes and soak till plumped and pliable. Coarsely chop by hand as
finely as you can. Toasting the walnuts in a dry pan for about 3 minutes
adds a lot of flavor. Cool walnuts before proceeding. Use the pulp of the
tomatoes (no skins, seeds or juice).

Position knife blade in food processor bowl, and add dried tomatoes,
walnuts, basil and garlic cloves. Process until finely chopped. Add chopped
tomato pulp, pinch of salt, thyme, pepper, and cocoa and romano. Combine
oils, water, vinegar; with processor running, slowly add olive oil mixture
through food chute. Process mixture until well blended. Taste and adjust
seasonings, this has a slight vinaigrette flavor. Settles to about 1 cup
yield. Chill.

Add a little to salad dressings; toss with pasta. Sauce can be warmed over
moderately low heat if necessary.

1996 Copy Cat, Trader Joe's Organic This sauce reminds me of Trader
Joe's Organic. No claim to replication: we've emphasized what we like about
Joe's sauce.

Recipe by: Hanneman 1996 Kitchen

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #1069 by KitPATh phannema@wizard.ucr.edu on
Jan 31, 1998