stuffed tomatoes with quinoa and cilantro pesto

Happy Friday!

I am happy to report that we finally have apples at the farm.  They really come in handy when my stomach begins to growl around 9:30 a.m.  Not only are they a delicious and healthy snack, but they are hands down the best apples I’ve ever had! If you live around the area you must swing by Hutchins Farm for a bag of apples.

In other news, I am sad to report that our basil has finally hit the dust.  Thankfully, I froze a ton but it’s always a hard day when the basil is no longer around. Tear.

I wanted to make one last summer dish before I dig into my first butternut squash later this weekend. Since we are fresh out of basil I turned to my next favorite herb.

Mmmmmm. Cilantro. True love.

I ran into a farm worker at the end of the day and we both vented about not having any basil left.  He mentioned that cilantro pesto is another great way to use fresh herbs.  In less than 30 minutes of our conversation I was throwing random things into my food processor prying for a miracle.

Stuffed tomatoes with quinoa and cilantro pesto.

All I can say is thank god for cilantro.

RIP basil. We will see you next year.

For now I will dig my fork into this.  Not only was the cilantro pesto a hit, but kernels from a fresh corn cob really added a nice touch to this meal.

For the cilantro pesto:

2 cups cilantro, large stems removed

1/2 cup walnuts

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.

In a food processor, process the cilantro and onion.  Add walnuts and jalapeno pepper.  Add salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Process until smooth.

For the tomatoes:

Two large round red tomatoes.  Tops removed and cored. With a small spoon hollow out the tomato leaving 1/4 inch rim.

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 ear of corn, kernels removed

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix quinoa with pesto mixture.  Add corn salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Scoop mixture into each tomato.  Bake in  the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!