Sweet Love and Ginger

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Artichoke & Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

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Artichoke & Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

It should be that time of year when our thoughts are swarming with spring gardens and summer pools, but unfortunately for us in the northeast the weather (namely the polar vortex) has had other plans.

Now I’m usually a lover of the snow, I mean any excuse to curl up with a book and a cup of tea is a good thing in my view, but snow and freezing temps this time of year mean that my garlic, and early spring flowers are taking a beating. I’m not pleased about it. Not to mention the hiking plans that ended when it started to hail.

Moving on from disappointing weather I decided to spend most of the weekend crafting and baking all sorts of treats (many of which you will see coming up on Plum Deluxe soon enough). I was craving something that reminded me of spring or summer so I dug through my canned goods and came up with this pesto/dip recipe. It’s a little thicker that a typical pesto but that’s one of the things I like about it. It’s a perfect spread for toast or sandwiches, but also a great dip on crackers, chips or veggies. Versatile recipes man they are the thing.

valentine breakfast sandwich recipe

I actually made this for the first time back near new years, where served as a dip it was a hit. It was also a pretty big winner on this sandwich (pictured below). This time around it went on toast with some melted Swiss cheese because that’s what was in the house. I’m thinking an experiment with puff pastry is in order next.

Artichoke & Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

Artichoke & Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
Ingredients
  • 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
  • ½ cup sundried tomatoes, packed in oil
  • ¾ cup parmesan cheese
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. You may need to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure complete blending. Serve immediately.

 

Summer Garden Vegetable Tomato Sauce

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This is a recipe for Summer Garden Vegetable Tomato Sauce that I canned for later use using a pressure canner.

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The tomato bounty is winding down now. I’m so happy that despite my negligence my tomato plants produced enough for me to make a small batch of veggie tomato sauce. Something that’s kind of new in this house. In years past meat sauce has always been the thing, but I’m doing my best to change that, little by little.

I had a ton of vegetables sitting on my counter and in my fridge and they needed to get used up so I pretty much dumped them all in this sauce. I did find that the tomato flavor was dulled by all the vegetables, but it still tasted delicious so it’s a recipe I decided should be recorded.

Here is my Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe if you are interested.

Since adding vegetables to tomato sauce reduces the acidity a pressure canner is required to can it. I’m so happy to finally have one! I cannot wait until the temperatures go down a bit so I can comfortably make broth and can that. I sound like a total dork, but I really cannot wait!

If you are interested in canning your tomato sauce I used this method.

Summer Garden Vegetable Tomato Sauce
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10 Servings
Ingredients
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped fine
  • 6 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 medium carrot, shredded fine
  • 1 cup eggplant, chopped fine
  • 1 cup zucchini, chopped fine
  • ½ cup green bell pepper, chopped fine
  • 10 cups tomatoes, seeded & chopped
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • ½ tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large thick bottomed sauce pan heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrots, cooking for one minute or until it becomes fragrant.
  2. Stir in the eggplant, zucchini, and green pepper and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
  3. Add the tomatoes & spices and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling reduces the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 2 to 3 hours, with occasional stirring. Longer cooking times will result in a smoother – less chunky sauce.
  4. Adjust seasoning & serve.
  5. Note: To reduce cooking time use pureed tomatoes or puree the mixture after 30 minutes of simmering and serve.