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Experience Michiana

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Elaine Hovenkamp

Aired on July 15, 2014

Recipe: Heirloom Tomato and Pesto BLT

July 17, 2014

Heirloom Tomato Ingredients

  • 2-3 heirloom tomatoes of different colors ( Hovenkamp's)
  • 4 slices per serving of thick sliced bacon, (Sawyers)
  • Michigan-grown Romaine lettuce (Hovenkamp's)
  • Pesto made with fresh basil - recipe below-(Basil from Hovenkamp's)
  • multi-grain bread- sliced in thick slices (Breadsmith)

Heirloom Tomato Instructions

Bake or fry bacon slices till done. Toast bread slices. Smear bread on one side of each slice with the pesto. On one slice layer the lettuce first, tomatoe slices, and bacon and then place the other slice with basil side down on top!

Presto! It's Pesto!

  • 3-4 oz. Pinenuts- toasted and cooled
  • 1 1/2 c. firmly packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 c. Italian parsley
  • 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large clove of garlic
  • 1/4 c. olive oil
  • salt to taste

Pesto Intructions

Place all items except oil in a food processor and pulse till it forms a paste. Add olive oil gradually and pulse until it forms a buttery consistency. You can refrigerate this mixture in a sealed container for 1-2 days or freeze it. Use as a spread or dip ( blending in 1/2 c. mayonnaise) or mix as is with pasta.

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