so much more than just pesto that its almost insulting! Use this to spread on toast, coat pasta, make crusts on meat, use as a dip, make elegant canapes liven up soups, make chunky toasted sandwiches with this and goats cheese and much more.

My original recipe for this started I think based on a Greek recipe (hence the cinnamon) and had a bit of eastern Mediterranean influence (might have been a Claudia Roden or Anissa Helou thing) but anyhow its been a dinner party canape staple of mine forever.  Here is my basic recipe and the quantities are for guidance only, the key thing here is to make it how you like it:

Ingredients

A jar of sun dried tomatoes oil and all or a jar of home bottled roast tomatoes  in which case no need to add any extra tomato puree or water which you may need to add if you are using jarred sun dried tomatoes

A big handful possibly two of walnuts (probably a cup)

half a preserved lemon pulp and all (I like mine lemony – if you are not sure start with a quarter)

chilli (I am sensitive so I dont add a huge amount…if you prefer a dip more on the muhamara side of things…spice it up)

If you are using home bottle tomatoes you might want to add a glug more of olive oil

2 to three and possibly four cloves of garlic. I like quite a lot

salt pepper and absolutely do not omit the cinnamon. half to one teaspoon.

How To

Blitz it up in a food blender. I like to keep mine with a bit of texture – think of the difference between crunchy and smooth peanut butter.

Thats it.

Always have some in the fridge. Always.