Basil: An Herb for All Seasons

To some it's a powerful culinary ingredient, to others basil holds religious and medical significance, while others simply put it on their bruschetta. Basil is common and one of the oldest herbs known. This is an herb that is easily accessible year round with a vast amount of applications.

Basil’s Greek name is  basilikón phutón, which means “king”, or “The Royal Herb.” No doubt it was the herb that was used in both religious and royal ceremonies, not to mention medical applications as well. In early African cultures, Basil was said to cure scorpion bites. In some religions, basil is used to distribute holy water, in others, basil plants are kept under altars.

Basil is easily identifiable by its big, green, shiny leaves. If you think basil looks like mint, it's a relative of the mint plant, which is why the leaves look so similar. But the smell and taste are quite different. The taste has notes of anise and clove. There is more than one variety of basil, and those offer other flavor profiles. In the U.S. we use the bassileum, in Asia, Thai Basil is the usual go to. This type of basil is sweeter than the North American version that we are accustomed to. Under these two categories of basil, there is a small subset of lesser known, but no less tasty basil options.

You can get a majority of the one hundred plus varieties of basil right here the U.S. Two varieties you can likely get at your local grocery store, so you should definitely check thosee out. The first is Lemon Basil. As you can guess, it has notes of lemon. If citrus isn't your thing, and you want to add a little savory zip to a dish, try cinnamon basil. These herbs are nice ways to subtly add flavor to your cookig year round.

Basil is not only plentiful, but it's really easy to grow.  Basil can be grown year round: outside in the summer and indoors in the winter. During summer, it will grow more rapidly but water and a little attention will go a long way. If you'd like to find out how to get a kitchen herb garden going, check out this easy guide from the folks at HGTV.

After all this basil talk, you probably want to know what to do with the bail once you get it. Because basil is versatile, there's really no bad way to use it. I've even had it in ice cream, and it's delicious. A fast and simple way to utilize basil is to make a pesto sauce.

Basil Pesto

Time: less than 10 minutes

Yield: about a cup

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

¼ cup of freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Process the basil, garlic, nuts, cheese and oil in a food processor until you get the consistency you are looking for.

Now that you know more about basil, perhaps an herb garden is in your future? If you love basil, you most likely also love pasta. The Chopping Block's Pasta Boot Camp is a deep dive into the techniques of homemade pasta. Don't miss our next session coming up on Sunday, January 8 at our Lincoln Square location. Grab your spot now!