This afternoon Michael took command of kitchen and gave me strict instructions to STAY OUT. Shortly after I hear rummaging in the fridge. Rummaging in the storage room. Chopping. The sound of our tiny food processor whirring. Several audible questioning humphs, followed by increasingly more positive sounding mmm… mmmm…. MMMMMMMs!

After a few minutes, I hear, “You have GOT to try this!”. Out of the kitchen comes my hubby, beaming face, and arm outstretched holding a piece of Italian bread with a generous spoonful of his inaugural batch of homemade sun-dried tomato pesto (without pine nuts he adds quickly). I hush him when he wonders if it is a true pesto if it doesn’t have pine nuts. “Who cares?” I ask. As long it tastes good, that’s all that matters. And it was good. Delicious in fact.

Michael Walsh’s Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (without Pine Nuts)

3/4 cup (ish) sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, drained)

Garlic (4 big cloves)

4 tbsp (ish) Olive Oil

Salt (to taste)

1 tsp (ish) Basil (dried leaves, because that’s what we had on hand)

Whir in a food processor until very well blended.

When I quizzed Michael about amounts, he stressed the importance of adding “ish’s” after every measure. He provided his best guess for you to use as a guideline.