Basil
The thought of writing about basil takes me on a trip back in time to my childhood and the TV series that was 'The Herbs'. I remember all the characters, but forget everyone's name except Parsley the lion. I bet myself that there will be a website dedicated to this wonderfully simple children's series, and lo and behold, there is - http://theherbs.homestead.com/index.html
With details of the characters, I am transported back to the 1970s and am re-united with Sage the owl and Dill the dog. I remember the gardener, who I thought was Basil, but is actually called Bayleaf. Basil is in fact Sir Basil, husband of Lady Rosemary and owner of the big red nose - sherry fueled no doubt! Here are some of his quotes from the series and I immediately remember the sing-song way he spoke them - oh, such fond memories!
Back to 2013, and the basil plant R bought me is flourishing and although H used some for the pesto, there are a lot of leaves on these plants and the odd few are beginning to show signs of wilting if they are not used soon. Time for drastic action and some serious cutting back - the long, leggy look might be good for fashion models, but definitely not a good look for my herbs!
Being a serious hater (veering on the side of OCD) of waste, particularly where food is concerned (ask R about the ketchup bottles!), I can't bear the thought of picking off the leaves and then throwing them away! Quick. Think.
Voila! Dry them out and make my own jar of dried basil. Perfect for sprinkling on homemade pizza and pasta dishes.
So, into a very low 75 C oven go the leaves I have picked individually and spread out on some baking paper. They sit there for 2-3 hours, happily drying out. I know they are ready because they crackle like autumn leaves as I touch them, and I can break their fragility with the press of a finger. I want a fine chop, so I put the basil into my new-ish food chopper from Pampered Chef and pound away for a few seconds. Perfect!
I find a little jam jar I kept from a trip to the spa (yes, breakfast was included. And, yes, I did work it off afterwards!), and I now have my own dried basil. Easy!
Now, that tarragon is looking like it needs a trim...
With details of the characters, I am transported back to the 1970s and am re-united with Sage the owl and Dill the dog. I remember the gardener, who I thought was Basil, but is actually called Bayleaf. Basil is in fact Sir Basil, husband of Lady Rosemary and owner of the big red nose - sherry fueled no doubt! Here are some of his quotes from the series and I immediately remember the sing-song way he spoke them - oh, such fond memories!
"I am Sir Basil,King of all the herbs,I like huntin',shootin' & fishin'. But if there's any hard work to be done,you'll notice I'm generally missin'."
"I am Sir Basil,King of all the herbs,I'm very often in trouble. I'm not very good at sortin' things out,and often I get in a muddle."
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| Photo: http://theherbs.homestead.com |
Back to 2013, and the basil plant R bought me is flourishing and although H used some for the pesto, there are a lot of leaves on these plants and the odd few are beginning to show signs of wilting if they are not used soon. Time for drastic action and some serious cutting back - the long, leggy look might be good for fashion models, but definitely not a good look for my herbs!
 |
| My basil after it's 'haircut' |
Being a serious hater (veering on the side of OCD) of waste, particularly where food is concerned (ask R about the ketchup bottles!), I can't bear the thought of picking off the leaves and then throwing them away! Quick. Think.
Voila! Dry them out and make my own jar of dried basil. Perfect for sprinkling on homemade pizza and pasta dishes.
So, into a very low 75 C oven go the leaves I have picked individually and spread out on some baking paper. They sit there for 2-3 hours, happily drying out. I know they are ready because they crackle like autumn leaves as I touch them, and I can break their fragility with the press of a finger. I want a fine chop, so I put the basil into my new-ish food chopper from Pampered Chef and pound away for a few seconds. Perfect!
I find a little jam jar I kept from a trip to the spa (yes, breakfast was included. And, yes, I did work it off afterwards!), and I now have my own dried basil. Easy!
 |
| Home dried Basil |
Now, that tarragon is looking like it needs a trim...
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