Lemon-Walnut Pesto Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

This is from the "Vegetarian Appetizers" cookbook. The picture looked so fabulous that I just had to try it. DH and the other guests just gobbled these up. The pesto is pretty tasty! You will have to guage the olive oil based upon how you like your pesto. The yield on this is dependent upon the size of the tomatoes used and how you cut them. This yield assumes the tomato only has the top cut off, not in half.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Yields: 12 tomatoes

Ingredients

• 12  cherry tomatoes
•  paprika (optional) or  fresh basil (optional) or   toasted walnut halves, for garnish (optional)

• Pesto

• 1⁄2 cup  coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
• 1⁄2 cup  loosely packed fresh basil leaf
• 1⁄4 cup  freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 -2  tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground pepper, to taste
•  salt, to taste

Directions

1. Put all pesto ingredients in food processor and process until slightly chunky, or desired consistency.
2. Taste and adjust seasonings, as necessary.
3. Cut tomatoes (in half or cut off the very top) and remove seeds and juice (I use an iced tea spoon).
4. Fill tomato with pesto using a pastry bag or ziploc bag (small spoon may also work).
5. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving.
6. Serve chilled or room temperature.