Bunches of Basil

Basil has tons of uses, so if you’re growing it in your garden and you’re not quite sure what to do with your bounty here are a few ideas. There are a lot of different varieties of basil, but today's post was written with sweet basil in mind.

Make a tomato salad—Put chopped fresh basil on sliced fresh tomatoes, drizzled with vinaigrette made of good quality olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt & pepper. You can add fresh mozzarella to this as well.

Make Your Own Pesto

¹/₃ c. toasted pine nuts (could also use walnuts or pecans)

1 ¼ c. (stuffed) chopped basil leaves

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 c. Grated Parmesan cheese

¼ c. olive oil

Blend the pine nuts, basil, garlic and Parmesan cheese until smooth in a food processor or blender. Add the oil slowly and blend.

Some ways to enjoy your fresh pesto:

· Mix pesto into cooked and drained pasta

· Use as a sandwich spread on grilled chicken

· Mix into mashed potatoes

· Use as a dressing for a pasta salad that includes fresh tomatoes and cucumbers as well.

In sauces—Add chopped leaves to marinara or any tomato sauce. The fresh flavor beats dried every time!

On pizza—Add basil leaves to a cheese pizza and bake

Replace the lettuce—Use on hamburgers and sandwiches instead of lettuce.

Use in salads—Add torn basil leaves to tossed salads. This is particularly good when the salad has toasted pecans or walnuts, too.

Once the basil blooms, you can use the flowers in salads, too.

For breakfast—Top an omelet with chopped fresh basil and chopped fresh tomatoes

Before you can try any of these suggestions for using fresh basil, you’ll want to pick leaves when they are young, and pick from the top of the plant to encourage new growth. Cut some stems from the plant and put them in a glass or vase of water and keep it where the basil will be within easy reach for cooking. An added bonus of storing basil in this way is that some of the stems may produce roots. If they do, you can start a new plant indoors in a sunny window. Then you’ll have fresh basil even through the winter months!

Photo from Garden-Supply-Resources.com