Walnut+sun dried tomatoes

A long time ago the Oregonian had a recipe for this thing called Walnut Crema. I don't have the original source for the recipe but what I remember is that the walnuts were boiled to remove bitterness.Onions were caramelized and the 2 ground together.  I remember making it and thinking to myself it was a little too bland.

Here is the zippy version of that

Walnut ans Sun dried tomato dip

A creamy spicy dip with the tang of tomatoes.

1 cup walnuts

6 sun dried tomato halves (dry, if you use oil packed, drain first and use the oil for cooking the garlic and the peppers)

3 cloves garlic

2 tsp dried Pepin peppers (the small round kind )

Olive oil about 2 tbsps




Cover the walnuts with water in a saucepan or microwave safe dish. Boil the walnuts in water until tender. The water will turn brown and gunky.  Rinse and drain.

Heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Add the chillies, peeled garlic and the sun dried tomato.
 Cook until the garlic begins to  smell fragrant. Now reduce to the lowest possible flame and cook some more until the sun dried tomatoes infuse into the oil.

Transfer the walnuts and the chiili, garlic, sun dried tomato mixture along with the olive oil. Blend to a smooth paste. Add salt to taste.. If necessary add more olive oil for the mixture to come together.

Use as a sandwich spread,  Pasta sauce (thinned with pasta cooking water) , crostini, crudites