Recipe: Red Pesto Potato Salad (and How to Make Home-Dried Tomatoes)

RED PESTO POTATO SALAD

When the exquisite, but all too short, New Hampshire summer approaches its end, Moulton's Farm Stand, which is near my house, overflows with an embarrassment of riches, not the least of which are the tomatoes. From the giant globes of brandywine heirlooms to the taut skinned red Roma, the variety is overwhelming. The sweet taste of the earth one experiences when eating a vine ripened tomato cannot be bettered. But a properly dried roma is as addictive as a potato chip! Try this salad if you have a good supply of sun or oven dried tomatoes.

FOR THE RED PESTO:
1 cup dried Roma (plum tomatoes). either home-dried* or purchased
1 cup boiling water, if using purchased tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thoroughly dried
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, thoroughly dried and roughly chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more if needed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
FOR THE SALAD:
2 pounds red new potatoes
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup artichoke hearts, either marinated and drained or frozen, thawed, and cooked according to package directions, halved
salt and freshly ground black pepper

FIRST, MAKE THE RED PESTO:
If you are using store-bought dry-packed tomatoes, rehydrate them by placing them in a bowl adding the boiling water, letting them stand for 10 to 15 minutes, and then draining. If you are using store-bought oil-packed tomatoes, drain them and add the oil to the measuring cup to make up part of the 1/2 cup oil.

Place the tomatoes, basil leaves, and parsley in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. With the motor running slowly add the oil through the feed tube and then add the garlic. Stop the motor. Remove the lid, and add the pine nuts. Replace the lid and pulse 1 or 2 times until the nuts are chopped and the pesto is creamy. Adding more oil if necessary.

Turn the pesto into a bowl and stir in the cheese. Taste for seasoning adding salt if needed. (Parmesan is salty so be careful.) You should have about 1 cup. You may store the pesto for up to a month in the refrigerator in a covered container. Top it with a thin film of olive oil before capping.

TO PREPARE THE SALAD:
Place potatoes in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer about 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain.

When cool enough to handle, peel if desired, then cut into cubes no more than 1/4-inch. Place cubes in a bowl, add the vinegar, and toss gently. Add the artichoke hearts, pesto, salt, and pepper and toss gently again.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours if not serving immediately. Bring to room temperature before serving.

*HOW TO MAKE HOME-DRIED TOMATOES:
I've tried "sun"-drying tomatoes by the traditional method, but let's face it, New Hampshire isn't Naples, even in the summer. I ended up with flies and spoiled tomatoes. This method for drying tomatoes works for me, but be careful or you'll eat half of them before you get them in the fridge!

Have ready as many Roma (plum) tomatoes as you want to dry (I usually do them in 2 to 3-pound batches), vegetable oil spray, olive oil, and kosher salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

While the oven is preheating. split the tomatoes in half lengthwise, then squeeze them slightly over the sink or a bowl to release excess juice and some seeds.

Line one or more baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil spray. Place the tomatoes, cut-side up, on the foil, and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

Place the baking sheet(s) in the oven and reduce the temperature to 200 degrees F. Bake, checking the tomatoes every hour until they are shriveled and dried. The timing will depend on the ripeness of the tomatoes. It usually takes from 4 to 6 hours.

Remove from the oven and place the tomatoes on a drying rack to cool, Store in the refrigerator, covered, or freeze in plastic bags. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks and in the freezer for several months.

Servings: 8
Source: Potato Salad: Fifty Great Recipes by Barbara Lauterbach