Basil 'Passport to Paradise'

Image Gallery Barbara Pleasant

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

by Barbara Pleasant

Fresh basil may well be the signature herb of summer, perfuming our gardens and flavoring our foods with its delightful clovelike essence.

Historically, basil has been associated with emotions ranging from love to hate. Various religious sects have used it ceremonially to pave the way to both heaven and hell; according to early 20th-century herbalist Maude Grieve, "Every good Hindu goes to his rest with a Basil leaf on his breast. This is his passport to Paradise."

COOKING WITH BASIL

Not surprisingly, admiration for this delicious and aromatic herb eventually won out over ancient fears of its mystical powers; today, few basil lovers ever get enough of it to eat. Fresh basil leaves are closely associated with traditional Italian foods, especially pasta and tomatoes, and basil also has deep roots in the cuisines of Thailand and India, where the first plants probably originated.

Contemporary basil-crazy cooks find many ways to use it. Basil pairs well with pasta or tomatoes, but it also works nicely with a number of other vegetables, from asparagus to summer squash.

The quirky thing about basil is in the cooking—it should be added only at the end of the process because when cooked, it quickly loses its bouquet. This characteristic may be one reason that pesto—a thick, pureed sauce of fresh basil leaves, olive oil, garlic and nuts—is the most popular way to make use of a copious supply. Basil also can be used raw in marinades, as a wrap or in salads to delicious effect.

Preserving basil for winter use can be tricky. It blackens when bruised, cut or frozen, and loses much of its flavor when dried, so handle it carefully. In summer, many gardeners freeze small containers of prepared pesto for wintertime treats. Other great ways to save a little basil magic are to make and freeze basil cream sauce (see our low-fat recipe, Page 80), or to freeze individual leaves. Just rinse and gently pat the leaves dry, lay them out on a cookie sheet and pop them in the freezer. After an hour or so, when they are frozen crisp, quickly transfer them to a labeled storage container and place it in the freezer. Basil vinegar and basil-infused oil are tasty options for hoarding the herb's flavor, too.

CHOOSING VARIETIES

The best culinary basils are called sweet basils, classified botanically as Ocimum basilicum. My personal favorites are the small-leafed globe basils 'Spicy Bush' or 'Minette,' which fit into tight spaces and are very slow to flower. For flavor, it's hard to go wrong with any variety described as a "Genovese type." I love small-leafed 'Piccolo' or 'Fino Verde,' too, but I know better than to get stuck on a favorite. Plenty of good ones, including subspecies that carry scents of cinnamon, lemon and even anise or camphor, are available. All of these are fun to grow, though I have settled upon lemon basils as the only scented strains for my garden. A few plants of a dark-leafed red or opal basil, such as 'Red Rubin,' add lovely color to the garden, too.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print