Hey! I am sharing a 'catch all' recipe for pesto. I know the term pesto is usually reserved for Basil, so I am bending the rules a bit. Since COVID, I have started to get CSA boxes weekly, and they always include a BUNCH of herbs. I am always afraid they are going to go bad, so I have been blending everything! Mint, Basil, Parsley, and Cilantro are usually in my boxes and the farmers are so generous with them. So i have become pretty good and making them into pesto, which elongate the life of them in your fridge (2 weeks about), and you can also freeze them which makes them last even longer (rule of thumb is usually about 6 mo). I dont really measure so here is a rough recipe for Herby Pesto Ingredients - A BUNCH OF HERBS! (Basil, Mint, Parsley, Cilantro are the ones I use the most) - 1/4-1/2 cup of olive oil - 1-2Tbls of pine nuts or pepitas (i tend to use pepitas because thats what I have) - Salt/Pepper - 2-3 garlic cloves (dont use the pre-minced) (and feel free to add more or be fancy and roast em) The best part about pesto is that you can throw the leaf and the stem in a food processor. The only herb I usually de-stem is the mint, but I am sure you can throw it in there. Again I dont measure so this is where you go slowly to make it to your preferred taste, texture, etc. I start by adding a lot of herbs (I will attach pics). Then I add at least 1/4 cup of olive oil (you can really add as much as you want). around 1-2Tbl of pine nuts/pepitas. 2-3 garlic cloves, and s/p to taste. the BLEND. let it sit for a second then taste to see what you need to add more of. Remember, when its sits for longer it starts to taste better and better since all the oils start to mix together. When you blended it to your taste and texture, put it in a glass jar (I save all mine for moments like this) or a tupperwear. I like to top it off with a floater of olive oil to help preserve it even more. THE VOILA! you have made pesto. you can use it for so many things! Toss with pasta. toss with potatoes and then roast em. you can even do it will cooled boiled potatoes to eat alone or add to a salad. top your eggs with them. add it to a salad dressing (evoo, pesto, and some vinegar of choice). Sometimes I also add lemon to the pesto when I am going to use it. I wouldn't add it ahead of time because I think it makes it spoil quicker. Last in the fridge about two weeks (longer at times, just taste it) and you can even pop em in the freezer if you make a big batch. ENJOY! IG: _bolognasandwich_

A truly glorious and simple summer dish. Heat a generous amount of EVOO in a skillet. Once the oil is hot, drop in 6-8 cloves of garlic smashed and sliced unevenly. Let the garlic begin to brown for a couple of minutes on medium heat until it reaches a golden, uneven hue. Add in a handful of whole CSA Caprese tomatoes and toss in garlic and oil. Reduce heat to medium low and wait for tomatoes to begin to blister from heat. Once this occurs, begin to break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add in enough white wine to cover bottom of pan (roughly 1 cup), bring to a simmer. Allow mixture to simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add in roughly 12 oz. raw shrimp (fresh or frozen). Let cook for 5-6 minutes until all shrimp have turned pink or opaque, depending on the kind you're using. Once shrimp is cooked, spoon shrimp and sauce into bowl and serve with plenty of bread for soaking up this delicious sauce.

Cook calamarata (or paccheri) pasta to al dente in salted water. Followed the "Sticky Garlic Marinara Method" by Frank Prisinzano (@frankprisinzano) but added some eggplant. Heat a large skillet until very hot, drop in roughly 6-8 smashed garlic cloves, then add a generous amount of EVOO, so garlic begins to fry immediately. Add in cubed eggplant (I used one small eggplant from CSA box). When garlic and eggplant have reached a golden color, add in tomatoes (crushed, diced or passata based on personal preference), and a pinch of crushed red pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until eggplant is properly tender and sauce is slightly reduced. Add in desired herbs, like basil or parsley, and steep for 1-2 minutes. Spoon drained pasta into sauce to coat. Serve with grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Served here alongside Caprese salad, featuring CSA tomatoes and basil.