Basil

 Herbaceous, fragrant, intoxicating......

BASIL

Most of us go gaga over basil.

And, what's not to love?

There's the Genovese types, the besto for pesto,

and the purple types to add a flash of color in your dish.

Greek basil has smaller leaves and is less prone to go to flower.

 Thai basil is the best type to use when cooking, 

as it will retain more of its flavor in the heat.

It is essential in Asian cooking, and has a scent slightly reminiscent of cloves.

Kapoor, or Tulsi, or Holy basil

has a sweet vibe that reminds me of stevia.

Holy basil also has a long history of religious and medical use in India, 

where it’s considered one of the most important herbs there is. Holy basil is a sacred herb in the Hindu religion and believed to be protective and healing. Tulsi, “the Queen of Herbs,” is considered legendary, cherished, womanly — and its essential oils are considered powerful at remedying headaches, low energy, stress, disease and sexual dysfunction.

Lemon basil has smaller leaves and thinner stems.

Basil flavor with a slight lemon twist.

 Cinnamon basil, with its burgundy stems,

has basic basil flavor with hints of anise, mint, and cinnamon.

Insalata Caprese, 

made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil is delicious.

Did you ever notice that the colors of this salad echo those in the Italian flag?

Pesto, that magical mix of basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, and Parmesan 

cheese is fantastic on bread, atop a plate of pasta, in soups,

and on pizza.

 The French version is called pistou,

and includes the same ingredients as pesto,

without the pine nuts.

But, basil is more than just delicious to eat.

It boasts many nutritional values and loads of health benefits.

Kapoor, or Tulsi, or Holy basil

leaves are steeped and used for a tea,

which, with lemon juice added, is a nice cure for a sore throat. 

Basil's contributions to your health are astounding.

Basil has been scientifically proven to be effective as:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Cancer-fighter
• Pain-reducer (analgesic)
• Fever-reducer (antipyretic)
• Diabetes-preventer
• Liver-protector (hepatoprotective)
• Blood vessel-protector
• Stress reducer
• Immune-booster

 With all of the benefits, you would think basil would be elusive and mysterious.

Not so.

Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow.

It loves full sun and heat, heat, heat.

Basil is very successfully grown in pots,

when the entire pot can warm up in the sun...

...the soil, the roots, and the plant all get heat they love.

Basil is exceptionally intolerant of cold.

While you can water it freely in the summer heat, most basil plants are lost

by being over watered in cool temperatures.

To keep your basil plants producing lots of leaves all summer,

pinch off the flowers.  This will make the plant grow bushier,

and will prevent it from going to seed (which, in the plant world,

is equivalent to 'my work here is done').

If you just remember to keep it warm,

don't water it too much when temps are cool,

and pinch when you see flowers,

you'll have loads of basil all summer long.