I make quite a bit of pesto in the summertime and it seems I have posted variations on our pesto recipe a few times too (here it is with garlic scapes, and then again with arugula). Somehow I keep skipping our classic basil version though. Which is a real shame as it is really so delicious! So without further delay, here is Cubit’s Classic Basil Pesto recipe.

It’s really quite simple and you can add or subtract ingredients based on what’s in season or your personal food rules (ie please feel free to just skip the cheese, this recipe can handle it).

I said I wasn’t going to blog this week, but if there’s one thing I know about babies it’s to seize any opportunity they give you. An extended snooze this morning meant I could make a batch of Oven Roasted Tomatoes and couldn’t resist taking a few photos.

I basically just follow David Lebovitz’s instructions except I turn the oven off after a few hours and leave them sitting in there for the rest of the day to finish. Such a nice morning with a bowl of banana legs tomatoes, herbs from the front steps and a sleeping baby.

This is it, the last of this year’s scapes. I picked them last night, gave a handful to a neighbour who has been eyeing them, had Ryan roast some up with potatoes for last night’s dinner, and this afternoon I’ll turn the rest into this pesto with arugula and kale from the garden.

Combined with my grandmother’s pan and cutting boards from Timber Green Woods I can’t stop taking pictures. It’s a bit of an addiction.

Here are some of my favourite scape posts from around the internet. I’ve also been pinning scapes all over pinterest.

What are some of your favourite ways to enjoy these pretty and delicious garlic shoots?

Well Preserved’s Pickled Garlic Scapes and Pesto.

Shana’s roasting hers over on Folks Gotta Eat.

Karen is admiring hers for a bit after “borrowing” some and before eating them over at the Art of Doing Stuff.

Young Urban Farmer’s are making vegan scape pesto.

Way back in January,  I was inspired to clean up my pantry.  Friends at Well Preserved and Folks Gotta Eat were writing these great posts about overhauling their pantries and finding 10 bags of quinoa, 4 bags of icing sugar and secret stashes of pudding mix.  Well I dove right in, found my share of ridiculous things, like instant chocolate mousse from our trip to Italy 4 years ago and four types of dried basil, and then promptly felt very very pregnant and couldn’t even open the pantry let alone edit and post photos of it.

The great thing that came out of this project is we finally finished organizing the spices and they still look great.

This is such an easy peasy project you can finish in one afternoon. You’ll need a can of chalkboard spray paint and a white pencil crayon (I like the Staedtler Omnichrome ones) and a new box of lids.

2 coats of spray paint and you’re good to go!

The pencil crayon lasts longer than chalk and isn’t messy.  It wipes off if you want it to with a damp cloth.

Ahhh, and doesn’t the calendula look nice?  I think I’ll go brew a pot to celebrate getting this post out of my drafts folder.