Savory and Sweet, time to mix it up!

The Holidays bring out the best in all Chefs, we really get a chance to mix it up and have fun with our recipes and this one is no different.
Cream cheese spreads are fun to make and easy too. Toasted Bagels in the morning with with cranberry cream cheese, Apples and Cinnamon, crackers in the afternoon with Sundried Tomato Pesto Cheese, Roasted Garlic or my favorite Cilantro Serrano.
I will start with the Sundried Tomato Pesto.
Start by taking 4 cups of sun dried tomatoes and grinding them using your small grind die so that the tomatoes come out finely ground and mix easily infusing the Cream Cheese with flavor!






My Kitchen Aid Mixer with the grinder attachment is the perfect choice for this recipe, I like using the Christopher Ranch sun dried tomatoes they are a quality product and once you put them through the grinder your only a few steps away from a beautiful Pesto!














With your tomatoes ground you can now add the finishing ingredients, without cleaning the grinder I put in my whole peeled Garlic, again from Christopher Ranch, fresh clean and easy to use, about one cup Garlic and grind like you did the tomatoes, then add your fresh basil, about a cup of loose packed Basil and grind that right into the garlic bowl, I then take about a cup of tomatoes and send them through the grinder just to clean it out of all the great juices, now combine all and
now your ready to mix in your olive oil, and mix in about two cups of evoo into your mix, a pinch of sea Salt and Black Pepper and your done!

Now its time to mix it up! 8oz of cream cheese to 4tblsp of pesto, that's it just mix it up by hand or do larger batches with your Kitchen Aid, return your spread to the fridge and enjoy!

Remember that any left over Sun Dried Pesto can be stored in a mason jar, just cap it with olive oil and keep it out of the sunlight and it will last for future recipes

Cheers, Chef Glenn