Basil is my favorite of all the herbs because it is so versatile and easy to grow. Those of you who follow my recipes site will know that I like to grow my own herbs and as basil is normally ready to eat just 6-weeks after planting I naturally use it often.
Basil is an attractive annual, about 18 inches (450 mm) tall with light-green, fairly broad leaves. There are several species of cultivated basil, one having purple leaves, so it is also a decorative plant in your garden.
Basil grows easily from seed planted after all danger of frost has passed. Pinch stems when the plant reaches 18 inches (450 mm) tall to promote bushy, compact growth. Avoid lush growth as it may reduce the flavor.
Green leaves can be picked about 6 weeks following planting. It is best to cut leaves for drying just before flowers open. However, if you can use fresh the taste is far better and it is also an extra vegetable to compliment a healthy diet.
Spicy-scented basil leaves are one of the most popular of all herbs used in cooking. There are two particular ways I like to use basil; the first, and most common, is to mix it with pine nuts and a little garlic, a splash of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil in a blender to make Pesto. Pesto can be kept for a few days in the refrigerator. Use about 90% basil to 10% pine nuts.
The other way I like using basil is with freshly picked tomatoes, sliced,
drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with chopped basil. This dish can be served alone as an appetizer or as part of a salad.
The other great thing about basil is that you should grow one basil plant between each tomato plant in your garden. The plants compliment each other and the basil acts as a deterrent to many of the bugs that like tomato. It never fails to amaze me the way nature has a habit of making complimentary plants that together protect each other in growth and them compliment each other on the table.
Top chef's use basil with all tomato dishes, whether cooked or raw. The other thing to remember about using olive oil is that it is an omega 3 oil and very good at promoting "good" cholesterol.
This article is copyright (c) David McCarthy, 2006.
About the Author:
David McCarthy writes articles about food and the affect it has on your health. His work can be read at http://www.recipesmania.com/ where you will also find a totally free and effective weight loss program.
top quality merchandise at very competitive prices!
Interesting Articles from the Information Highway
Stop by and read all about it, choose from thousands of top articles on various, interesting
subjects from the Information Highway.
When you have finished browsing remember to bookmark us. www.everythingelseonline.co.uk
General Information from Site Index
Explore our comprehensive Article Source, from the Site Index, choose from the most knowledgeable general reading matter and read the informative general information articles under each heading category. Get all
the facts and knowledge you require, read
everything when you want it, and at your leisure.
Choose from thirty
categories: A-Z
For example read all about Pets Information and your Pets
Health, check the detailed information and
excellent reading Info
Informative Articles
Ginkgo Increases Blood Flow To The Brain .
What Is Ginkgo ? This
popular herbal medicine is extracted from the fan-shaped leaves
of the ancient Ginkgo
biloba tree, a species that has survived in China for more than
200 million years and now grows throughout the world. (The
leaves are...
Natural Hair Color Restoration
Copyright 2004 by http://www.organicgreens.us and Loring Windblad. This article may be freely copied and used on other web sites only if it is copied complete with all links and text intact and unchanged except for minor improvements such as...
Heart Burn Is Not A Disease
Heart burn is not a disease. It's not even an illness. Heartburn is a symptom of other problems.
Many people think if you have heartburn, you have IBS and need to take a little purple for the rest of your life. This is not true. Did you ever...
Quick Weight Loss - Not All it's Cracked up to be?
Is quick weight loss a good idea? It all depends what you
consider quick. Some people follow what used to be called
'crash' diets, eating next to nothing for a limited period of
time in an attempt to lose weight as quickly as possible. This
is...
Common Drugs and Their Uses
The five drugs that are discussed in this article are Ibuprofen which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly used for relief of Arthritis, Warfarin which is an anticoagulant drug commonly prescribed by doctors to treat...
