All I know is that this is my favourite time of year, not least because I have fresh basil growing just outside the door. Whenever I like, I can step out and pick a handful. What riches!
If basil be the king of herbs, then surely pesto is the king of sauces, turning this ...
into this ...
... which, when applied to pasta or eggs or potatoes, lifts them out of the ordinary and into the sublime.
Every year I gather extra basil and stuff it into a zip-lock freezer bag. When it's frozen I crumble the basil by rubbing the bag between my hands. I keep adding leaves throughout the season until the bag is full or the first frost hits, whichever comes first. Then we enjoy the summery taste of fresh basil all winter long.
If only we could preserve a bit of summer's warmth as well.
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I love basil too though I've never tried growing it apart from having a little pot from the supermarket on my kitchen windowsill (which needs replacing every few weeks - I mean the basil, not the windowsill!). When I buy it I like to poke my nose in the bag, I always think it smells of summer, though summer in a country warmer and drier than ours, which is nice!
ReplyDeleteI get my Basil from the supermarket too, but then I re-pot it into a larger pot with good compost and it lasts for a very long time. I enjoy it particularly with tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteYou always make me so hungry!
ReplyDeleteI have basin in pots on the patio, and I have some growing near my kitchen sink, too. The kitchen stuff grows all year long. Love it!!!
I don't have good luck with basil in pots - it does much better for me in the ground. Can't wait for tomatoes to be ripe so I can enjoy it with them too!
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