INGREDIENTS
1 quart of plain yogurt (not made with gelatin) whole or low fat
6 oz of pesto (homemade or store bought)
6 oz of sun dried tomato spread (homemade or store bought - sun dried tomatoes ground with olive oil and herbs of choice to create a thick paste, like the pesto)
3/4 to 1 cup of finely ground walnuts
Chips, crackers, and / or sliced vegetable sticks of choice
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DIRECTIONS
This is much easier than it looks from the directions, but your family and guests will love it. You need to do this in two steps over a four day period, but it is a great appetizer and well worth the work. If you choose to purchase the pesto and tomato spread from the store the real work involved in this is about 10-20 minutes. Baking tip: Keep the drained whey for baking bread - the pesto and tomato spread will add an additional flavor element.
You will need cheese cloth and a standard 1 quart colander, or 1 quart fine mesh colander.
Four days before the party, drain the yogurt by layering the cheese cloth in the colander, and pour 3/4 of the yogurt in the cheese cloth. Reserve the rest of the yogurt for the next step. Nest this in a large bowl to catch the whey, cover with plastic wrap to keep from drying and store in the refrigerator for two days.
Two days before the party, place drained yogurt in a bowl. Replace cheese cloth with fresh in a clean colander. Assemble torte: You will use up the un-drained yogurt first and then as called for use the drained yogurt (the density of the drained yogurt will help press the torte down).
Place a layer of about half -- 3/4 inch thick of the yogurt in cheese cloth. Spread a layer of the pesto thick enough to about half inch or greater depth - you will use all or most of the pesto for this; add another thick layer of yogurt; now add a thick layer of the sun dried tomato spread. Finish with a final layer of yogurt. Now spread a layer of the walnuts (reserving about 2 tablespoons of the walnuts for a topping). This will be the base of the torte when unmolded.
Nest the colander in a bowl to catch the whey, place plastic wrap over to keep from drying and store in the refrigerator until the day of the party (this will keep for up to 5 days as it continues to drain).
The day of the party, make an attractive base for the torte by layering lettuce, unsprayed citrus leaves or even a banana leap on a plate. Unmold the torte, and gently press the reserved walnut pieces on the top of the torte. Serve and enjoy. |
