Pesto

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It's basically a farm that sells shares of their crops to the community and then delivers or makes these crops available for pick-up during the growing season. We were introduced to an awesome CSA in Virginia that we were a part of for a few years. When we moved to Pittsburgh I knew I wanted to join one here.  Happily I found an organic one that has a drop off at the top of my street.

The first week I shared that having forgotten deliveries were starting I managed to buy the exact items in our weekly box. Last week I asked Henry to buy basil. Guess what I got in my box... um, yeah, a huge bunch of basil. On Friday before I left for the weekend I realized I had another package of basil in the fridge. 

I was afraid it would go bad since I had no plans for it as of yet and another box of produce was coming in just a few days.   So I whipped up some pesto.... 

For the pesto take a bunch of basil.... 

Chop it (I do a chiffonade cut to make it easier then cut the other way)

Put 2 cups of chopped basil in a blender or food processor with 2 tsp minced garlic, 2 tablespoons pine nuts and a little olive oil.

Blend it up until it's spreadable, but not pureed. 

If you aren't going to use it right away, you can freeze it like I do in 1 tbsp balls making it easy to throw into soups or pastas. 

Pesto recipe:

2 cups chopped basil

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp pine nuts

a drizzle or two of olive oil

Blend in a blender or food processor until spreadable but not pureed. Use to marinate chicken, use as pizza sauce, put on fresh tomatoes, flavor pasta dishes, use as a spread for sandwiches and more!

You can add 1/2 c parmesan cheese to the recipe if you are using it right away. If you are freezing it, add a sprinkle of parm per tablespoon upon thawing.