Tomato Pesto

My vegan friend Jennifer got me hooked on the fabulously beautiful blog Vegan Yum Yum, which I totally recommend, though it makes my messy blog look like a third grade craft project entirely created in blue-green crayon. Among the fabulous recipes, I must thank Lolo for teaching me how to chop an onion correctly so that I can now enjoy hacking into those tearjerkers as much as I love eating them. She also has some fab tips on food photography, which, as you will note, I am not so good at taking to heart. In any case, despite how inept this online masterpiece makes me feel, I love her blog and book (aptly entitled VeganYumYum) so much, that I really can't feel bad for long.

So, as I was writing, one of my few vegan friends sent me a link to a magically quick and creamy recipe for Tomato Basil Cream Pasta. I loved it, but in a quick pinch to replicate it one day when I was too lazy to turn on the computer to seek it out anew, I came up with this Yum Yum inspired tomato pesto that had me going for seconds! Plus, this is a really rich way to take care of those tomatoes that are just about ready to go.


TOMATO PESTO

Ingredients:
3 large tomatoes quartered and squeezed of seeds
1/2 C pine nuts
1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes
1/8 C fresh basil
2 cloves garlic chunked
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt

• Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in boiling water for about 15min to rehydrate.
  
• Add all ingredients into a food processor and process until well integrated but still chunky.
• Mix with your favorite pasta!
  

I loved this recipe and found myself counting down the seconds until leftover lunch the next day. So, whip up some of this and start checking out the much more refined culinary creative force of Lolo's version!

Warm Your Belly Tomato Zucchini Risotto

My comfort food growing up was a steaming bowl of "yellow rice" - rice made with broth, a heaping cup of Parmesan, and a pinch of saffron to make the plate bright. It is a heavy meal to say the least, but it will forever remind me of my Grandfather, a terrific cook and the conjurer of all things delicious throughout my childhood. My grandfather's own adaptation of the dish (heavy Parmesan, overdose of saffron and no added vegetables) was a permanent fixture on the holiday (or quotidian) table.When he died the recipe was lost. I tried on occasion to replicate (and came fantastically close!) but they were never quite the sharp, sticky, golden satisfying mouthfuls that had sustained me growing up.

I cannot say that it was by accident that I was reacquainted with Risotto Milanese, after all I was majoring in Italian and visited my grandfather's hometown in Italy. Visiting the relatives I asked if they might cook some risotto with saffron and what followed yielded, to my delight, the very same "yellow rice" that I remembered! Over the years I have gotten more bold with the ingredients and have fallen in love with the hearty texture and decadent flavor of risotto - I hope that you do as well! Today I am going with some tomato and zucchini, basically because this is what I found when I raided the refrigerator, but the basic recipe stands for any variety that you wish to enjoy!


WARM YOUR BELLY TOMATO ZUCCHINI RISOTTO

Ingredients:
1T olive oil
1 med chopped onion
4 C vegetable broth
1 C white wine
1 lg or 2 sm zucchini
1 C halved cherry tomatoes
1 C arborio rice * this rice makes it sticky and perfect so no substitutes!

*If you want to make this Yellow Rice simply make without the veggies and add 1 packet of saffron at the very end and then a cup of Parmesan (or Vegan substitute).

1. Saute the zucchini in a bit of oil until soft and add the tomatoes at the end just to soften a bit. Set aside.
2. Heat 4 C of broth in a saucepan and keep warm on the burner.
   
3. Heat oil in a large soup pot and cook onions until translucent.
   
4. Add the rice and heat about a minute then add the wine until completely absorbed.
5. Ladle in about a half cup of broth and stir.
   
6. Keep adding to the rice a half cup at a time, stirring constantly until absorbed.
7. Once the broth is absorbed add the zucchini and tomatoes and warm.
8. Let cool 10 min.

That is it! It is simple and delicious! You can switch it up with the saffron version, or go with mushrooms, or spinach instead of zucchini. I have even made this with radicchio for those of you curious about serving purple food. I would suggest if you are an omnivore (or a vegetarian that eats cheese) to smother your plate in freshly grated Parmesan, Vegan Parm for me.