cherokee people, cherokee pride

Why yes, the title of this post is a Tim Mcgraw reference. That being said, it's also a reference to the cherokee heirloom. One of the most delicious tomatoes I've ever eaten. Due to my aforementioned Grow Alabama hook-up, I've had a plethora lately. The weather's been so warm I've been able to get local tomatoes all the way through November; I know that'll soon be coming to an end, though.

I used some Cherokee heirlooms I had to make one of the best, and easiest, brunch dishes I've had lately. I will most definitely be making this again. It's a Mediterranean dish, and it has a technical name, which I forgot and have been unable to rediscover through internet searching.


Mushroom Tomato Sauce with Poached Eggs

4 eggs
1 can tomatoes*
3 fresh tomatoes (the ones I used were relatively large)
1/2 package white button mushrooms
1 green bell pepper
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp parsley (one tbsp for recipe and one tbsp for garnish)
1 tbsp green onion
1 tbsp cilantro
2 tsp cumin
salt
pepper
crushed red pepper
1/2 tbsp honey

*I only had three tomatoes, and wanted to make enough to serve four. It would be equally delicious to use all fresh, or all canned tomatoes. Well, maybe not equally. It will be more delicious to use the heirlooms, but damn good if you use canned. Either works.

Start by sauteing the onions, garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms, in butter and olive oil for about ten minutes. Then, add the fresh tomatoes and let cook another five. Add the canned tomatoes, spices, herbs, honey (this is just because tomatoes can tend to be slightly bitter -- if you taste-test and things appear to be on track, don't worry about the added sweetener).

Once everything comes to a simmer, cover and let it cook at least 30 minutes, until the sauce has reached your desired consistency. Then, add your four eggs on top. Cover and let cook 6-8 minutes. Obviously, the amount of time you let the eggs cook depends on if you like 'em runny. I do. Also be aware that after you turn off the eye, the eggs are going to continue cooking in the hot sauce, so don't overcook.

Serve with toasted baguette.

stock & such

Whenever Blake comes into town, it's virtually guaranteed that we're going to cook together. For this particular visit, we made ourselves dinner (sweet potato gratin) and cooked up some appetizers for tailgating down in Tuscaloosa for the Mississippi State game (stuffed mushrooms and pinwheels). I've posted about pinwheels before, so I'll just include the gratin and mushrooms.

To top it all off, I used all my leftover vegetable remnants to attempt my first homemade vegetable stock. It was delicious, and I've already used it in my cumin squash soup (which I detailed two posts ago), and a carrot soup I made for a Hanukkah potluck last night.



Vegetable Stock:
(quantities don't really matter -- use whatever you have leftover. Including stems, peels, etc. because you're going to strain everything once it has cooked)

mushrooms
radishes
thyme
green onions
mustard greens
onion
garlic
carrots
salt
pepper

Add everything into a large stock pot with some olive oil and let saute 15 minutes or so before filling the pot at least halfway with water. Let simmer for at least 2 hours. (Just do this at a time when you know you'll be home a while and check on it periodically). Strain with a sieve several times and you're done.



For the gratin:

3-4 medium sweet potatoes
parmesan
1-2 cups heavy cream
salt
pepper
nutmeg
hot sauce
1/2 onion
garlic
2 tbsp butter

Peel and mandolin the sweet potatoes (for gratins I think the uniformity of a mandolin is really appealing. On some things it isn't necessary, but in this case it's really ideal for even cooking and appearance). Saute the onions and garlic in butter, and add to a baking dish on bottom, afterward arranging the sliced sweet potatoes on top. Season with nutmeg, hot sauce (of course I use this on everything -- but seriously I think it's a nice contrast to how sweet the potatoes can be) salt and pepper, then add the heavy cream. I didn't include an exact measure because I usually just pour it straight from the container into the baking dish until it's at least halfway up the side.

Top with parmesan and back at 350 for 45 minutes. Everyone loves gratins.

Stuffed mushrooms:
1 package of baby portabellos
1 red onion
2-3 cloves garlic
olive oil
breadcrumbs
parmesan

The hardest part about these is cleaning and prepping the mushrooms. I like to use a small spoon, and patience. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and scoop out some of the innards, being careful not to break the mushroom. The amount you choose to remove is up to you. If you wanted to add some additional veggies to the filling you could remove almost all of the inner mushroom, however if you leave the filling as-is, I wouldn't scrape them too cleanly as it is quite rich.

Basically just saute the onions and garlic, season them with salt and pepper, and mix with breadcrumbs and parmesan. Stuff and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. These are great at room temp, too.

local food forays

There has been a dramatic uptick in my consumption of local produce lately due to a friendship I've developed with a Grow Alabama employee. Basically, I get a share of his weekly produce box in exchange for something that I cook using the ingredients from the box. Grow Alabama is a great program, and we need more like it, all over the state. Support it if you can! (I know, I can't really afford the boxes either -- but we do need more produce being grown/purchased locally in Alabama. It helps our state's economy, and its people, as well as the environment). On to the food.


It was Danielle's birthday, and I was itching to make Thanksgiving things anyway. And, as I've mentioned in a previous post, I love brunch.

Menu:
Tomato Pie (this recipe is in a previous post)
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Cumin Squash Soup
Creamed Mustard Greens
Carrot Souffle (left over from my aunt, so I'm not including this recipe)
Frittata (this recipe is in a previous post)
Green Bean Casserole
Cranberry Sauce

I'll try to describe everything in the order in which I cooked it, because I feel like it's somewhat important that some things be cooked later so they'll stay warmer.

The first things I prepped were the squash and the sweet potatoes. For the soup, you'll need two large squash (it will serve at least 6 as a first course), and for the candied sweet potatoes you'll need about 5 medium sweet potatoes.

Candied Sweet Potatoes:
Cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick butter
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
3 tbsp honey
5 medium sweet potatoes

Slice the sweet potatoes and lay them out on a sheet pan. Sprinkle/drizzle all the ingredients on top and toss together. Cook at 425 for probably 45 minutes, tossing occasionally. Use aluminum foil! The honey gets sticky. I had these in the top rack of my oven while the souffle and the tomato pie were on the bottom.

Before assembling the pie, however, I started the squash soup.

Cumin Squash Soup:

Butternut squash
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
salt
pepper
hot sauce
vegetable stock
1/3 stick butter

Cook the onions, garlic, and squash (cubed) in the butter for about ten minutes. Add enough vegetable stock to cover all the vegetables (I used probably two to three cups), then add your spices/herbs and hot sauce. Bring to a boil then cover and let simmer for at least half an hour. (The important thing is to make sure your squash is tender). Before serving, use an immersion blender until you reach your desired texture. I left mine relatively chunky.

Green Bean Casserole

about 3/4 pound fresh green beans
6-7 small mushrooms
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2-3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
salt
pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
red pepper flakes
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1-2 tbsp flour
1/2 c. panko
1/3 c. parmesan

Cook onions, garlic, mushrooms, and beans in olive oil and butter 5-10 minutes (Don't overdo it -- you still want the green beans to be a bit crisp, as they'll cook more in the oven). Add flour and make a roux, then add the cream after a minute or so. Add the herbs and spices after that, and let cook about 5 minutes before transferring to a baking dish. Top with parmesan and panko and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until brown on top.

Creamed Mustard Greens:

1 large bunch mustard greens
1/2 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp parsley
1/4 c. brown sugar
salt
pepper
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. heavy cream
3 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. parmesan

I got these mustard greens in the produce box, and had never cooked them before. Full disclosure: they were almost unpleasantly bitter. If I were you, I'd check out my creamed collards post, or just make this recipe substituting the mustard greens for something slightly less bitter. That being said, if you add enough cream, butter, and cheese to something, it'll be good. I still found these to be interesting, and Miguel and Shundee enjoyed them (or claimed to).

Saute the onions and garlic in the butter and add the greens once they're translucent. Add the water, brown sugar, and spices, and let them cook for at least 20-25 minutes, until almost all the water is absorbed, at which point you can reduce the heat and add the cream and cheese. Season to taste, and add more cream and cheese if you find them to be too bitter, haha.

And last but not least: Cranberry sauce. Miguel actually made this, but I was trying to pay attention and take note of his ingredients:

3 cups cranberries
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar

Basically, you just bring the water and sugar to a boil and add the cranberries. Let simmer until about 1/2 the cranberries have popped. The amount you let pop depends on the level of tartness you desire. The more that pop, the sweeter it will be. Transfer the sauce to another container and store it in the fridge until it has time to get cold, then it's ready to serve.


(halfway through the feast)

And so concludes my Thanksgiving post. I served it with these little cheesecakes leftover from my grandma's, and it was amazing. I think I'm still full, though it was a full 24 hours ago.

the shame

In English, the Greek expression tis drro-pees translates to "the shame," and describes the feeling one has when taking the last slice of pizza from a pie, or the last of anything from any meal with a group. In the title of this post, however, I am referring not to this type of shame, but rather the shame I feel when informing you that my raw food diet lasted less than 48 hours.

Truly, it is challenging to stop cooking when you are a lover of food.

That being said, pride alone has prompted me to include the recipe experiments that I did attempt during my raw dieting. The first being slaw, and the second being cabbage wraps.

I prefer a vinegar-based slaw to one with mayonnaise the majority of the time, most likely because my granny always served the former. This recipe was adapted from her; the only change I made was to add the carrots and black pepper.

Vinegar Slaw:
1 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
large pinch of salt
lots of cracked black pepper
1/2 head cabbage
2 carrots

I used a box grater on the carrots, and just sliced the cabbage relatively thinly. Obviously, the amounts can vary as heads of cabbage can vary greatly. Just give the mix a taste, and adjust it to your preference. I like mine with a lot of tang, so I typically use a little less sugar. Let it refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving.

--

I used this slaw, along with some salsa that I whipped up (I forgot to record my recipe, but it was relatively simple. Basically just tomatoes, cilantro, lime, onion, hot sauce, salt, & pepper), to make cabbage wraps with the remaining 1/2 head of cabbage.

Cabbage wraps:

Slaw
Salsa
Spinach
Sprouts
Avocado
Cabbage (not sliced, just peeled away from the head in whole pieces so they can be used like a tortilla)

This is all I used, but you could really add any green/accoutrement. Make sure you sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper before rolling them up, too.




And that about does it for my healthy post. To follow is a Thanksgiving brunch extravaganza sure to make up for the lack of calories displayed here.

coming adventure

i am excited to announce that for the next week, i will be attempting a raw food diet. recipes/ideas/preparation tips to come as i explore this food movement. I HAVE NO IDEA IF I WILL BE ABLE TO DO THIS.

brunch is best

i like to get a bit more creative than breakfast traditionally allows, and with brunch, anything is possible. it's alright for brunch to be especially savory; i feel like most people are anticipating eating a lot of food, and drink.

IF NOT, a warning: you might not want to eat all this if you have to go to work afterward.

1) frittata

a traditional frittata is a baked egg dish, usually with leftover pasta, and various vegetables/meats. i'm not too big of a fan of adding pasta-its texture is quite similar to the eggs after baked, and it doesn't seem to add any flavor. so, i leave it out. this particular frittata has arugula and mushrooms, two of my favorites.


ingredients:

5-6 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt
pepper
arugula
mushrooms
onions
garlic
EVOO
butter
parsley

first, combine your eggs and cream and add salt, pepper, parsley. heat some butter and olive oil and saute all the veggies (adding the arugula just for the last 1-2 minutes to wilt it), then add those to your egg/cream mixture, once they've cooled slightly. baking time on frittatas can be really variable (like most things). i start it out at 300 and cook for about 15, then keep an eye on it. sometimes it appears to need more time when it's already fully cooked. BE CAREFUL; they can dry out and it's not pretty.

2) biscuits

as you can see from the photo above, danielle's grandmother hooked me up with some homemade blackberry preserves. i used those pillsbury frozen biscuits and served those with high quality butter (please, do not use margarine. it's nasty, doesn't bake well, and isn't good for you), and the preserves. use toast if you don't have time to bake your own biscuits and don't want to cheat like me.

3) grits

i looooove grits. that being said, i've had some terrible renditions. grits need to be jazzed up a bit, in my opinion, so i usually always add cheese and herbs. for this batch i used quick grits and replaced half the amount of water typically called for with milk. after cooking, i mixed in:

fresh basil
goat cheese
white cheddar
coarsely ground black pepper (and lots of it)


at this point i imagine you may be thinking, "what about this brunch isn't a traditional breakfast?" well, nothing really. i still maintain that my introduction to this post remains true, however; i defend myself with the addendum that i usually serve roasted potatoes, or something traditionally prepared later in the day, with my brunches.

shroomies

People eat fungus. And LIKE IT.

like most of the recipes i've posted thus far, stuffed mushrooms can be done in a myriad of ways. there are certain vegetables that i tend to always buy, so those are the ones that tend to end up in my mushrooms, but you can use almost anything.

i would say that balsamic vinegar, garlic, and parmesan cheese all work amazingly well together, and with the portabellos. if you're stuffing baby 'belas, you can use just those three ingredients and they'll be delicious.

first things first: when you're making stuffed mushrooms, make sure you buy mushrooms that will be easy to prep (like these):




if they're kind of flat when you buy them, they're going to get even flatter when you bake them. they will look like pancakes with stuff piled on top of them, and it's weird.

before stuffing and baking, i coat my mushrooms in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake them at about 350 for ten minutes. while they're baking, i saute whatever vegetables i'm using to stuff the shrooms.

for these i used:

onion
garlic
carrot
tomato
arugula
broccoli
jalepeno
couple dashes of hot sauce
balsamic vinegar
dijon mustard
salt
pepper
parsley
basil

saute all the vegetables other than the arugula and tomato until soft, then add them along with dijon, hot sauce, balsamic, and spices (you can use fresh or dried, to taste. fresh basil is the bomb, though).

fill each mushroom about 2/3 full with veggies, then top with parmesan and panko bread crumbs. don't fill them too full or the cheese will bubble over, and you'll have a mess. i drizzle the tops with olive oil, too, after i've added the cheese and panko. you could do that either before baking or before serving. bake at 400 for about 20 minutes. baking time can vary greatly depending on the size (depth) of your mushrooms, though, so watch out.



i served mine with roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes. simply slice up a few of each potato variety and sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and chili power. they'll need to bake a little longer than the mushrooms, so if you're using the same pan (as i did) you may want to let the potatoes bake for 15 minutes or so and then add the mushrooms to the pan and return them to the oven.

SXSW

well, i've put this one off, because it's a big one. south by southwest. i ate unusual amounts of good food. something else unusual, this entry will contain a MEAT thing....mainly by accident (don't worry; i didn't eat any).

our first night in, td and i ended up at this delicious pizza place called east side pizza. it was new york style, thin and crispy, and there were tons of gourmet toppings. ryan's roommate worked there so i got the hook up with a pesto-based pizza with AVOCADO on it. check it out http://www.eastsidepizza.com/.

the next morning, we hit up cisco's, a local favorite (according to my limited sources) with authentic mexican. this was my first inadvertent encounter with meat. apparently cheese enchilada is quite beefy in texas.


as you can see, meaty red sauce above. still it was a good crispy taco. for a mid afternoon snack, we were served the most interesting free vegan goodies while we watched bands at emo's. it was barbeque-flavored coconut meat (texture) with collard greens and homemade pickles. DELICIOUS. i have no idea how to replicate this and wish i had the recipe. the collards were vinegary and much less sweet than what we're used to in AL.

we went to some place to dinner that night and i got a veggie burg but it wasn't any good so i didn't write the name down...

the next day i picked up a free veggie wrap for lunch at an outdoor show (not too much flavor but all the veggies had been food-processed which i did like) . that day for dinner i had the BEST MEAL EVER.

blue dahlia bistro. mostly vegetarian, you can peep the menu here: http://www.bluedahliabistro.com/menu_sept09.pdf. i had the porcini ravioli with basil pesto and parmesan shavings. on the side were mesclun greens you could dress yourself with good balsamic and EVOO. so so good.

the next day i had free birds for lunch, a local burrito place. legit. pretty much just a burrito place but it was enjoyable. for dinner we got more east side pizza.

in short, there was much good food to be had. any meals i did not mention above were either mediocre, or prepared by kate, a roommate at the house i crashed in who was a yummy and vegetarian friendly cook.

and unrelated to food though this may be, get your ass to austin if you have the chance. it's FUN

asses of fire

this weekend was my third time participating in the egan's "asses of fire" (yes, it's really called that) chili cook off. i spent the entire day saturday relaxing and watching a big pot of vegetarian chili simmer.

my first year was a disaster. a misguided decision to add rice about 30 minutes before show time ended in panic as i discovered it was uncooked. luckily, it spent enough time in the crock pot at the bar pre-judging that it had softened. we lost.

year two i was much more prepared. i went the route of a protein substitute (smart ground meat crumbles) which i loved, but i think it may have scared people. we lost.

this year i tried to pull out all the stops. 3 kinds of beans, a topping platter never before seen, and 2 kinds of booze. we still lost, but i think it was damn good.

also, i know this has a shit-load of expensive ingredients. normally i would be a bit more conservative, but this was for a competition!

"josefina tequila-face" (vegetarian chili)

2-3 tbsp cilantro base (look for goya brand in the mexican aisle)
2(ish) chipotle peppers in adobo
hot sauce (i like alabama sunshine...i think you can order it online)
1-2 tsp worcestershire
1-2 tbsp tomato paste
1-2 tbsp chili powder
1-2 tbsp cumin
1-2 tbsp paprika
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp adobo spice (basically just powdered onion, garlic, tumeric; don't worry if you don't have it)
3 ears corn
1 head garlic
1 onion
1 serrano pepper
1 jalepeno
1 each red, yellow, green peppers
1 can diced green chiles
4-5 vine ripened tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
3 tomatillos
1 can each black beans, pink beans, red kidney beans
2 portabello mushrooms
handful of rice
1 12 oz corona
3 shots jose cuervo tequila (don't get montezuma...just don't)
1 cup vegetable stock

for the topping tray:

sour cream
taco seasoning mix
limes
avocado
green onion
cilantro
torillas
thinly sliced (pickled, if you like that) jalepeno
queso blanco
pepperjack

the most important thing to remember about chili: it's really hard to screw up. you can use all or none of the ingredients above. it's incredibly versatile and almost everyone likes it. some would argue that meat is an essential ingredient, obviously i'm not one of those people.

begin by tossing the tomatillos, tomatoes, peppers, and garlic in EVOO, salt, and pepper on a sheet pan and putting them in the onion at 400 degrees along with the corn. as these are roasting, dice your onions, garlic, and mushroom and get them going in your chili pot along with the cilantro base, tomato paste, hot sauce, worcestershire and chipotles (i add a little of the abodo sauce as well...this stuff is hot so just follow your own heat preference and be careful). at this point go ahead and add all your spices. i start on the low end (for example if above i have 1-2 tbsp written i will add only 1 and then if i add more broth later during the simmering process i'll add more spice as well)



take your corn, peppers, garlic, and tomatoes out of the oven. peel the peppers and the tomatoes, chop everything roughly, and add it all to the pot. cut your corn off the cob and add that, too. at this point, drain and rinse your beans and add those as well. also add the canned chiles and the canned tomatoes.

add the beer, tequila, rice, and maybe some vegetable stock. really, you just want to make sure you don't add too much liquid. although the good news is you can always cook it off; it just may take a while. i let this simmer at least an hour.

as for the topping tray (as you can see above) just arrange everything to your own personal taste. you can see what i used above. in the left-center there is sour cream flavored with taco seasoning and on the right it's flavored with lime zest (the lime zest was a great light contrast to the dense nature of the chili)

i cut the tortillas into strips and baked those for a nice crispy topping, as well. let me know if you have any interesting chili secrets...next year's competition preparation will begin soon.

creamed collards

one thing i've learned from having a garden: collards are indestructible. we have 3 plants in the backyard which have lasted for MONTHS (above is one of said plants). my roommate, danielle, doesn't like collards because she says they "taste like pickles" (which she also dislikes), so they've basically just been sitting uneaten. blake is here this weekend, so i decided to use as many as i could. warning: collards are also tough. they aren't exactly a quick dish as it takes a while for them to cook down.

another note: while making these on my own without looking at any recipes i decided to add only a few tablespoons of vegetable broth and let them mostly cook in their own juices. i noticed yesterday, however, that boiling may in fact be the traditional method.

creamed collard greens

2 cloves garlic
vegetable broth
red wine vinegar
salt
pepper
hot sauce
big bunch of collard greens (any green would work; up north i hear swiss chard is common)
butter (i used probably 3-4 tablespoons but you could go much lighter)
2 tbsp heavy cream

heat up the butter, vegetable broth, and red wine vinegar then add the garlic, hot sauce, collards, salt, and pepper. cover and let simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so. after about an hour i start testing and adjusting the amounts of red wine vinegar, broth, salt, and pepper, as needed to get the taste i prefer.

when the collards have reached desired consistency add a pat of butter and the cream then you're done.

right after adding the collards

cooked-down goodness
no more greens...

volver

i have a blog. again. i guess it's an itch i'll always eventually have to scratch.

a deviation from my previous blogs, however, is that i plan to THEME this blog around cooking. i hesitate to use the word entertaining, though i guess that's sort of what it is, too.

there have to be at least 12 other broke vegetarians in the world that want some of these recipes.

last night was jamey's surprise birthday party! he said it was his best birthday ever, so i'm assuming it went well. i made some appetizers, and an apple cake. the apple cake recipe i can't take credit for, but i did whip up some pinwheels.

PUFF PASTRY. quite possibly one of the most delicious things ever baked, and useful in both desserts and savory dishes. for my pinwheels, i took a sheet of puff pastry, thawed it (about 45 minutes) then rolled it out to about 12'' by 8''. however, size is totally up to you. i started by spreading a thin layer of romesco sauce (another one of my favorite things to cook with) then adding a layer of sauteed veggies (spinach, onion, carrots, and celery cooked in a skillet on medium for about ten minutes then splashed with balsamic). definitely let the veggies cool as they could make the pastry soggy. finally, i topped the veggies and romesco with about a cup of shredded sharp cheddar.

now comes the interesting part, working from the short ends, take one end of the pastry and roll it up until you're left with a somewhat unappetizing looking log. chill this AT LEAST 45 minutes. you really want it to harden up or else slicing the pinwheels becomes difficult. after it's chilled, use a sharp knife to cut one inch (maybe slightly smaller, again this is to personal preference) rounds. lay them out, bake them for about 15-20 minutes at 350 (i went up to 400 for the last 5 minutes, but my oven is a piece).

what you're left with is savory, delicious, cheesy, flavorful goodness. that looks like this:




below is the recipe for my romesco sauce. they tend to vary widely, but the consensus i've found is that they seem to always include roasted red peppers and old bread.

romeso:

1/2 cup decent parmesan
1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 red pepper (feel free to buy this pre-roasted in oil if you want to skip the roasting process)
5-6 sun dried tomatoes, in oil (add a little of this flavored oil to food pro when combining ingredients)
1-2 pieces bread (a couple days old is best, this is for texture and thickening)
4 cloves garlic
3 fresh sweet tomatoes (i really like the Campari brand in the winter when you can't find good large fresh tomatoes)
1/2 cup roasted almonds
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon zest
salt
pepper


i like to buy plain, whole, almonds for this recipe and roast them myself at about 350 for ten minutes. be careful, they burn easily. i usually add the red pepper to the oven at the same time as the almonds then leave it after i take the almonds out and crank up the heat, allowing the skin to blacken and for it to finish roasting as well. once this happens, stick it in ice water for a few minutes so it's easier to peel. peel the pepper and roughly chop it. then, take the almonds and add them to the food processor along with a couple tablespoons EVOO and the garlic. Process this for about a minute until you have a paste of those ingredients then add your tomatoes (fresh and sun dried) along with the roasted red pepper, bread, lemon zest, parmesan, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. as you process this, stream in your remaining olive oil until the mixture is at your desired consistency.

you can use this sauce in SO many ways. i love it on roasted asparagus, tossed with any kind of pasta, as a sauce for seafood, or on the pinwheels. if you make a large quantity and want to store it in the fridge, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top to preserve it for a much longer period.