HOW ABOUT HERBS 



jrcit 



Basil 

 (ocimum basilicum) 



MADELINE PERRON 



If I only had room for one herb 

 in my garden, I would choose Ba- 

 sil hands down. The varieties are so 

 numerous that a plot of" land could 

 have color, fragrance, and texture 

 with basil as the main ingredient. 



Basil is a tender anntial, so seeds 

 must be planted every spring and 

 the soil temperature and overnight 

 lows should be above 50 degrees 

 Fahrenheit lor it to thrive. Another 

 great wav to start basil is to winter 

 it over in a pot on the window sill 

 and take cuttings in the spring. This 

 wav it vou have a unique variety 

 that you want to propagate youll be 

 sure that the offspring will look and 

 taste like their mother. 



In Italy, basil is considered a sign 

 ot love. If a gentleman presents a 

 sprig of basil to a young lady, leg- 

 end has it that she will fall deeply 

 in love with him and never leave 

 him. That would work tor me it he 

 had a great spaghetti recipe to go 

 with the sprig. 



The varieties are endless, with 

 Genovese being popular tor making 



pesto. Spicy globe is my favorite for 

 drving, due to its small leaves and 

 strong spicy taste. Purple rutfles and 

 dark opal are great tor adding color 

 in the garden. Lettuce leat basil 

 with its large leaves is good in sal- 

 ads, sandwiches, or chopped on top 

 ot sliced tomatoes with olive oil. 

 Other popular varieties include 

 lemon, cinnamon, and Thai basil. 



Thai Basil 'Siam Queen' was 

 named a 1997 All-America Selec- 

 tions (AAS) winner. According to 

 the AAS, 'Siam Queen' demonstrates 

 an improved yield. Thai basil's 

 flavor and tragrance are distinctly 

 ditterent. In many Thai dishes. Thai 

 basil is added last, just prior to 

 serving tor its tragrance and flavor. 

 'Siam Queen' was bred in Thailand 

 trom local basil species. It took nu- 

 merous generations ot plants, select- 

 ing tor improved qualities to breed. 



Two additional basil varieties are 

 harvested tor home use. Camphor 

 basil is used as an insect repellent. 

 Holy Basil is can be tound in teas, 

 truit dishes and potpourri. 



The fact that basil is part of the 

 mint family, explains its ability to 

 help curb indigestion. A cup ot basil 

 tea works quite like mint tea to aid 

 in digestion after a meal. 



It also has a sedative effect that 

 helps with nervous headaches and 

 anxiety. 



In the kitchen I always have 

 dried spicy globe basil available for 

 salads and sauces. The pesto that I 

 freeze in ice cube trays and pop 

 into zip-loc bags are used in spa- 

 ghetti sauce during the winter 

 months. Fresh basil also has a place 

 ot honor in a pot by my doorstep 

 to be readily available to snip and 

 chop over tomatoes in the summer. 



The clovy, anise-like peppery 

 taste ot basil should always be avail- 

 able for cooking, especially for Ital- 

 ian dishes. Its certainly a favorite in 

 this house, and deserves to be cho- 

 sen "Herb ot the Year. " 



Maddy Perron is a Master Gardener 

 with a special interest in herbs. 



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