Stuffed Fresh Tomatoes with Walnut Pesto

Colorful fresh tomatoes stuffed with flavorful vegan Walnut Pesto!

Juicy, sweet tomatoes and earthy, garlicky pesto- a combination made in heaven! This dish can be served as an appetizer and as a centerpiece of the holiday table.

For Walnut Pesto

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts

2 tablespoon cashews

Carrot Tops, about 1 cup, chopped

Parsley, about 1 cup, chopped

2-3 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/4 cup lemon juice

1-2 tablespoon apple sider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

Presoak walnuts and cashews over night. Next, add walnuts and cashews in to a food processor and blend until well combined. Add a little bit of water to achieve desired consistency. Now, add chopped greens, olive oil and spices to the food processor , pulse until well combined. Added some water as needed to achieve desirable consistency. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

To stuff tomatoes:

Medium sized cherry tomatoes on the vine work perfect for this recipe. Rinse tomatoes and pat dry. First, cut the top of the tomatoes and scoop out the flesh and seeds. Placed the tomatoes, the open side down, on the paper towel, for any excess juice to come out. Next, fill the tomatoes with Walnut Pesto using small spoon. A cake decorating tip and a piping bag can be used instead. Sprinkle some hemp seeds on top and more freshly ground black pepper. Serve tomatoes on the bed of fresh greens with a touch of aged balsamic vinegar.

Note: Carrot Greens are in the same family as Parsley, Coriander, Fennel and Parsnips. Carrot Greens have a lightly sweet, earthy flavor that compliments Parsley so well! This dip tastes like sweet, young grass in springtime but also has a spicy note of fresh garlic and cayenne. A combination of Carrot tops and Parsley adds to the nutritional profile of this recipe by adding vitamin C, vitamin K, Potassium, and Calcium. The greens are rich in chlorophyll, which is an excellent source of Magnesium.