Sun-dried tomato pesto

 

Blender alert

 

I love sun-dried tomato pesto: it has a rich and intense flavour, softened by the nuts. It makes an excellent spread, is a superb grown-up substitute for tomato ketchup and I like to use it as a base for frying pan pizza. As long as you have a blender, it’s also easy to make, but I'm afraid that in this case, the blender is a necessity.

 

Most pesto recipes, including those based on tomatoes, call for fresh basil, but all too often, this is inappropriate for a voyaging boat. It’s usually relatively expensive, it doesn’t keep well, even if you have a fridge and a ‘bunch’ of basil is not very quantifiable. Moreover, this is only something that is available when you have frequent access to shops. I add a teaspoon of dried basil to this pesto, but if you feel it tastes wrong, you can leave it out altogether! Or add more if you wish. Or even add fresh basil should you be lucky enough to have some. But this is intended as a voyaging recipe that you can make from ingredients that you have in your lockers.  

 

Makes about 1 cup

 

Ingredients

 

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, including oil

1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice*

salt and pepper

water

 

Instructions

• I suggest whizzing up the sunflower seeds first. This way you can chop them to the extent that you want. They are unlikely to get pulverised, once you’ve added the tomatoes.
• Once the sunflower seeds are chopped up, add the tomatoes, garlic, nutritional yeast, basil and vinegar. Blend to a chunky consistency. 
• Now carefully separate the blender and taste. Add more vinegar if you think it’s required.  
• Check the saltiness - some sun-dried tomatoes are much saltier than others - and adjust, then add a good grinding of pepper. If the pesto seems too thick - and it probably will - add some water. Blend and check the consistency again (you might be able to do this simply by shaking the goblet), leaving it chunky or making it smooth, as you wish. You may need to add water several times some tomatoes seem denser than others.

Decant it into a glass jar, for preference. Use it more as a condiment than a dip - it’s quite strongly flavoured. However, it would make a brilliant pâté, mashed with some white beans.

 

Notes:

• Theoretically, this should be kept in the fridge, but I’ve found that as all the ingredients keep without refrigeration, so they do when they are combined! However, don’t keep it too long in a warm climate, because the oil may turn rancid.
• Add more garlic if you like it to be more emphatic
• With the sundried tomatoes I normally buy, I need at least 1/4 tsp salt.

Variations:

• Be aware that some sun-dried tomatoes in oil have vinegar already added, so taste them first to make sure you don't overpower your pesto with the taste.
• Try adding a few chilli flakes if you’re fond of them
• Capers would also go well in this pesto
• If you’re feeling wealthy, use pinenuts instead of the sunflower seeds. Or any other nut or seed that takes your fancy.