Sundried Tomato Pesto

In my professional life, I get to do some fun projects.... like buying awesome food for UC Davis folks to eat on campus. One such project was working with my friend and colleague, Emma, to get campus grown tomatoes dried so we could use them in the dining program on campus during the times when fresh tomatoes aren't in season.

This recipe was inspired by that project, and also takes inspiration from the amazing culinary team that I get to work with at UC Davis.

Sundried Tomato Pesto
1 cup dried tomatoes
1/8th cup raw walnuts
1/8th cup raw cashews
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp chopped white onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 red jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch of sea salt and pepper to taste

Rehydrate the dried tomatoes in hot water for about 10 minutes until tender. Drain tomatoes, reserving the liquid for the pesto. Combine all ingredients (except reserved water) into a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Add water reserved from hydrating tomatoes until the desired consistency is reached. 

Serving suggestions: serve atop fresh slices of kalmata olive bread

You can get some awesome dried tomatoes at the Davis Farmers Market from Annie Main at Good Humus. Annie also sells her dried tomatoes at the Davis Food Co-op in the produce section above the fresh peppers and potatoes. Hop on over to the UC Davis bookstore to buy some of the UC Davis dried tomatoes. They have them on the shelf next to the UC Davis olive oil. Or you can order them online, too.

Enjoy!