Basil and tomato find a new way to come together

My friend GK grows all kinds of wonderful things in her garden. In her little patch of land behind her bungalow, she has several citrus trees, some tomatoes of different varieties, a rotating collection of fruits and vegetables and - my favorite this time of year - basil.
We went out in the waning hours of daylight and clipped some leaves off the basil plants.
I made a little pesto, but since no one else in the Steve Barnes Campaign family is as fond of pesto as I am, I only made a little bit and used the rest of the fragrant leaves to make something snacky that the whole group could enjoy as well.
I found a dip recipe in Cooking Light magazine and adapted it a little for our tastes...adding some Sundried tomatoes to the mix.
The tomatoes added a funny color, so if you're looking for a pretty dish, leave them out, but they do taste great if you're just looking for a crowd-pleasing dip. (I used the photo from the magazine for illustration purposes, just because it is a much prettier picture.)
If you want a lighter dip, use their suggestion of low fat sour cream, but if you're eating something with with the cheese and the pita chips, you're probably not counting your calories too carefully anyhow.
In any case, enjoy!

Basil Parmesan Dip

1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of lightly packed basil leaves
1/2 cup of Sundried tomatoes
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup of  sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh of  lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Basil sprigs

• Combine the pepper, basil, and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a blender.
• Process until the mixture is smooth.
• Scrape the mixture into a serving bowl using a rubber spatula.
• Garnish with basil sprigs, if desired.
• Serve with pita chips.

Vegetarian.