ingredients

Basil or sweet basil is best known for its culinary uses, especially as the basis for pesto sauce and of course its affinity with tomatoes. Basil has a wonderful addictive fragrance and flavour and is a lovely reminder of summer. Popular in Italian and Greek cooking, basil is a delicate herb and should be added at the end of cooking as the flavour and colour is lost on prolonged heating.

There are many varieties of basil including a purple basil similar in flavour to sweet basil, its colourful purple leaves makes it an attractive addition to salads and bottled wine vinegar. This variety is not to be confused with variety known as holy basil or krapow favoured in foods of Thailand and Vietnam. The holy basil leaves are smaller and reddish purple in colour and used in stronger flavoured foods such as curries, stir-fries and soups.

• Whole leaves add a fresh and appetising appeal to pasta dishes, salads and herb vinegar.

• Basil combines well with soft cheeses such as cream cheese, ricotta and fetta and goat’s cheese,

• Sprinkle fresh basil over pasta dishes for an added flavourful garnish.

• Add shredded fresh basil to tomato based soups.

• Chopped fresh basil sprinkled over tomatoes makes a wonderful refreshing summer salad.

• Add chopped basil to butter and serve over cooked corn cobs.

• Basil enhances many vegetables especially oven roasted eggplant, onions, pumpkin, zucchini and tomatoes.

• Use fresh basil leaves sprinkled over sliced tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil.

• Store basil in a jug of water covered with a food storage bag in the refrigerator. It will only keep for 1-2 days.