Sun-dried tomato and black olive pesto
Guys! I’m on a boat! My fiance and I are on a houseboat on the canals for a few days with his family. I feel like a bit of a phoney since I’m the least outdoorsy person ever, but I’ve made sure to wear a stripey blue top to transform me into sea captain mode. It seems to have worked – I’m not sure you can technically call a canal boat a ‘ship’, but I’ve definitely felt like saying ‘ship ahoy!’ every time we see one coming towards us. And what’s a sea captain’s favourite food? Pesto, ooobviously. Sun-dried tomato and black olive pesto, to be precise. Perfect to put on pasta, drizzle on pizza or in soup, spread in a sandwich… this is one of those things that you’ll be glad makes a nice big batch, because you can eat it for days on end without having the same meal twice. Plus, I skipped the usual cheese found in pesto to make this version vegan – the tomatoes and olives taste so strong that the flavour of any cheese would get lost anyway, so you may as well skip it.
If you haven’t got a mini food processor, you need to get yourself one now. I use mine multiple times a week, and it’s the perfect size for making a batch of pesto like this. In fact sometime fairly soon (i.e. whenever I find time to finish writing the post, which I started about a month ago), I’ll be telling you a bit more about my must-have kitchen equipment. What are your must-have items? I always like recommendations for new gadgets.
Anyway, apologies for the shortish post, but as I write this I’m sat at a tiny table being gently rocked back and forth (and occasionally jolted when the boat hits a wall… we’re still learning how to drive this thing), so I think I’ll go and help. There’s actually meant to be a third photo in this post, but since I’m using the Internet from my phone, it doesn’t seem to want to upload. And, like any good sea captain would, I’ve decided it’s time to give up and settle for just two. I’m back in a couple of days and normal service will resume (with perhaps a little more maritime speak thrown in).
- 2tbsp pine nuts
- 6 large pieces sun-dried tomato
- 3tbsp sliced black olives
- 2tbsp fresh basil
- 1tbsp lemon juice
- 2tbsp olive oil (or the oil from your sun-dried tomatoes)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor (season to taste).
Ha, I love the bit about the stripey top! Also, I love boats and I’m a tad jealous. And black olives in pesto might be the tastiest thing I’ve heard (and seen) all day :)
Have a great time on the boat! Bet you’ll see some brilliant sights, hope it goes well! I take a walk down our canal all the time with the pooch as it’s got some spooky long tunnel i like to go into. Love the pesto, and agree, mini food processors are the bee knees!
Eek a long spooky tunnel sounds a bit scary!
I love olive pastes and they are so easy to throw together it makes you wonder why anyone would buy those hideously overpriced ones in a jar. This looks like a good one too.
great pesto and have a wonderful boating holiday
this has my name written all over it! it is all of my favorite things!
Absolutely love the theory of wearing a blue and white stripy top making you sea faring. I would totally do the same. it’s great that this is vegan, it looks fab, I love my cheese but you;re right this totally wouldn’t need it!
Such a perfect recipe to a perfect pesto. Enjoy!!
I used to live on the Oxford canal, and I certainly eat a lot of pesto, so I’d say you’ve nailed it ;)
Ha, I knew it! ;)