Home & Garden: Basil

The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

July Issue 105

All Rights Reserved

www.thenewsyneighbour.com 

Aren’t herbs and spices just the best? One of the best things about summertime is that you can grow your very own fresh herbs in your garden and they keep coming back every single year. Actually my basil has practically taken over one of my raised garden beds; it is so happy (basil, anyone?). I really don’t mind because I absolutely love basil and it is so incredibly healthy for you.

Basil is considered one of the healthiest herbs. It's best when fresh, exuding a sweet, earthy aroma that indicates not only the promise of pleasantly pungent flavour, but an impressive list of nutrients. Vitamin K, essential for blood clotting, is one of them. Just two tablespoons of basil provides 29 percent of the daily recommended value.

Basil also provides vitamin A, which contains beta-carotenes, powerful antioxidants that protect the cells lining a number of numerous body structures, including the blood vessels, from free radical damage. This helps prevent cholesterol in blood from oxidizing, helping to prevent atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and stroke. Other vitamins and minerals in basil include iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, vitamin C and potassium. Not surprisingly, basil also has antibacterial properties and contains DNA-protecting flavonoids.

Just last week, I whipped up some amazing pesto and, trust me, pesto may just be one of the easiest sauces you may ever make. I threw three handfuls of fresh picked basil, about ½ cup of shredded parmesan, ¼ cup of cashews (most people use pine nuts) into my food processor and as it was mixing, I slowly added olive oil until I had just the perfect consistency I was looking for.

I boiled up a pot of linguini and man, oh man, that may have been the best pesto I have ever enjoyed in my life. It was just incredible.

If you have any spare garden room or even a large pot, basil is super easy to grow and the thing with basil is that you can use it in sooooooo many different recipes it’s amazing.

You can even dry it so that you can use it all year long; all you need to do is warm your oven to 140 degrees while placing a single layer of basil leaves on a baking sheet. Turn off the oven and pop in your pan for 20 minutes (you don't want them to actually bake). Remove the pan, cool the leaves, and store immediately in airtight bottles or zip-lock bags, away from sunlight.

Just a few other ideas for your fresh basil:

·         Add it to any stew.

·         Potato salad with aioli, basil pesto, fried shallots, and Pecorino-Romano is full of contrasts that come together into one amazing side dish, adding extra oil to the pesto results in a saucier texture, great for coating the potatoes.

·         Fresh basil is a staple of Italian cooking, and what better way to eat it than on top of a homemade pizza? The basil singes from the high heat, its aroma filling the air.

·         Pork and peaches are a classic summer combination, and fresh basil takes it to new level.

·         For a simple appetizer or side, just grill cremini mushroom caps until tender and stuff them with a flavoured mayo. Season the mayo with basil, Parmesan, and garlic for an herbal, pleasant salty bite.

Last but not least, instead of using mint for your summer Julep, try using basil—you will not be sorry!!

By: Kathryn Hartwell

References: foodfacts.mercola.com, serious eats.com and saveur.com