...To grow that is. Basil is definately an essential for the herbologist's kitchen. When it decides it wants to grow, it can grow indoors in a pot like wildfire. A well-established basil plant will go from strength-to-strength and grow all year round indoors, provided you pull off a few leaves on a regular basis to stimulate growth.
When basil chooses not to grow, it can turn from a springy fresh, fragrant leafy bush into a droopy withering weedy mess in a couple of days.
After having two basil plants in the house for over a year, one I grew from seed, the other nursed back to life from a bargain sale price almost dead plant from Tesco's, that just grew and grew, I really was surprised to discover just what a beggar basil can really be!
The original plants died after an extended break away, when I entrusted their well-being to a neighbour without green fingers. 'No problem' I thought, as I intended to replace them. I bought another basil plant, in good condition from Tesco's, whilst waiting for the basil seeds I had planted to flourish.
Within a fortnight the plant was a sad specimen, it died a slow and painful death (well, painful to observe anyway). The seeds sprouted and produced a weak and pathetic replacement that really was a waste of time.
I have since tried countless times to get a basil plant to thrive in my home, with no success yet.
Why am I so obsessed with growing my own basil? Because there is nothing, absolutely nothing that can compare with eating fresh home grown tomatoes covered with freshly torn basil. Only those who have tried this out can afford to disagree and I doubt any will.
Basil comes from the mint family and is, in my opinion, one of it's better relatives. It has little of a decorative aspect to offer, with insipid small white flowers cropping up every so often (which really need to be pinched out to encourage leaf growth). It has a taste, however, that makes up for these inadequacies.
Basil is an essential herb whenever tomatoes come into a recipe. Dried basil has a good flavour, packets of freshly picked basil can sometimes be very good, but only homegrown basil, eaten seconds after tearing can give that excellent gastronomic delight.
Not that I am knocking dried basil. The flavour of this plant is so intense that drying it only impairs the flavour slightly, I am just a perfectionist when using this herb. It is an essential ingredient in a bolognaise sauce, and adds zing to any savoury meal that needs it.
If you are lucky enough to get hold of a plant that is healthy, nurture it. Remember to pluck at least four or five leaves every few days, so that it remembers to grow. Water it well every 2-3 days and above all remember to take it with you on holiday - no, wait, maybe that is too obsessive! At least make sure you entrust the care of your plant to a fellow enthusiast and send it a postcard erm... joke!
Finally, and most importantly, send me a cutting! (Please!)
UPDATE```````````````
Here I am three years later still wild about basil. I have recently lost three basil plants in the space of about a month but prior to that I had managed to keep the mama plant going for about two and a half years, planting the odd few seeds to always keep a few of her babies on the grow just in case of disaster. It really is worth the effort, honestly!
Recipe tip: roll sausagemeat in a large pile of chopped basil, (fresh or dry) before slow-roasting in a pool of chopped tomatoes. Baste from time to time and remove from oven when either the smell has you drooling excessively or a lovely brown and green speckled crust forms. Yummy with roast potatoes and sweetcorn.
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