Mouhammesto

I didn't really feel like cooking when I got home tonight; it was a long day, and it was already 6. I thought I'd just make pasta with some pesto, using (as I had all summer) the basil in my herb garden. But as it turned out, there were barely 10 leaves of basil remaining which seemed edible. Moreover, the only viable nut option I had (I usually would use pistachios, skinless almonds, or pinenuts) was walnuts. The combination of walnuts with the sun-dried tomatoes I used to fill out the pesto reminded me more than a little bit of mouhammara, a delectable Middle Eastern spread of walnuts, oil, and red peppers. And, as in the case of the Turkish Eggplant with Walnut Sauce, this combination also made me think of a distant sloppy joe. This pesto is delicious on whole wheat pasta, or on crackers or flatbread.

Mouhammesto

Ingredients
1/4-1/3 c raw walnuts
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed (if packed in oil) and chopped
10 leaves basil, chopped
olive oil
salt

Instructions
In a small food processor, grind walnuts. Add garlic, tomatoes, and basil, and pulse until you have a paste. Add olive oil and continue pulsing until paste reaches desired consistency. Add salt to taste. Makes 2-3 servings.