Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
⅓ cup walnuts or pine nuts, toasted
Salt, pepper to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Place a single layer of nuts on a cookie sheet and toast for about three minutes at 350 degrees F. Turn once, and toast for a few more minutes until lightly brown. Cut basil by hand with a knife or chop it in a food processor. Pour chopped basil into a bowl. Next grind nuts and garlic in the food processor, and add these ingredients to the bowl. Stir in olive oil and cheese; mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. If necessary, an additional teaspoon of olive oil can need to be added to smooth out the mixture.
Leftover basil is best stored in small plastic freezer containers for use later. If refrigerated, use within a week.

Baked Chicken with Pesto Rub

4 pieces of chicken, skinned if desired
¼ cup pesto
3 or 4 plum tomatoes, quartered

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place chicken in baking dish and spread with pesto. If skin is left intact, spread pesto under skin to allow the herbs and seasonings to penetrate the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes before adding the tomatoes. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces, or until chicken is cooked. Pour tomato-chicken broth from the roasting pan into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced by half for use as a sauce over the chicken. If more broth is desired, add canned chicken broth. Serve with vegetable of choice, pasta, or rice.

Slow-baked Tomatoes

12 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
2 tablespoons garlic flavored olive oil (or unflavored)
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease a glass casserole baking dish with olive oil.
Pour olive oil into a large bowl (garlic-flavored olive oil will produce a stronger garlic flavor). Thinly slice tomatoes and add to bowl. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and minced garlic and mix well. Place tomatoes in the baking dish and bake for three hours; toss tomatoes every hour. (Bake longer if you prefer a drier result.)

Cool tomatoes completely before storing them in a container for future use. If refrigerated, use within a week or place in the freezer for up to three months. Slow-baked tomatoes can be added to pasta (hot or cold), mixed with chicken, pork, beef, and much more.