We've made our cook book club virtual! We may not be able to meet in person and cook for one another, but that doesn't mean we can't create together. Each month we will highlight a different spice or seasoning. Kits will include this spice, a recipe that highlights it, a little history on the spice or recipe, and some best practices. I'll post the recipes and information here as well, so let's get cooking!
Before we begin with anything else, this is an exciting month. We are giving away LIVE PLANTS! That's right. You will be receiving a living basil plant. Below there is extra section on keeping your basil plant alive in addition to the rest of the history and best practices. The plant will be a little on the small side, as it only started growing a brief time ago. Give it some love and attention and watch it grow.
A Little Background on Basil
Primarily Adapted From TheSpruceEats.com
Basil is a member of the mint family along with other culinary herbs like rosemary, sage, and lavender. It's hard to tell exactly where it originated, but it is believed to have been cultivated for over 5,000 years in India. There are even some records that seem to indicate it may have originated in Hunan China.
Different varieties have been adopted by different cultures, finding its way into many cuisines and practices. Basil was a symbol of mourning in Ancient Greece and most likely used as one of the herbs used in the embalming process in Ancient Egypt. It also has a strong history as an ancient traditional medicine in the Ayurveda.
Growing Basil
Primarily Adapted From Fiscars.com
Basil is a hearty plant. But even if it doesn't require a lot of work, there are a few things you should know.
Basil likes plenty of gentle sunlight. Basil thrives in warm temperatures and full morning sun. 6-8 hours should do it. But try to avoid the full scorching midday sun, as this will be too harsh and is a quick way to see your basil wither.
At its current size, the basil should be good in the small pots it has been given. Eventually, however, you will want a pot at least 8" deep for strong root growth.
Water regularly - basil likes to stay moist and requires approximately 1" of water every week. In other words, water deeply at least once a week to keep roots growing deep. If you keep it in containers, it will need more frequent watering. The soil shouldn't be allowed to dry out. The best time of day to water is early morning.
Fertilize lightly. Not only does basil require very little, too much will kill the basil's flavor. Only a very weak liquid solution once every 3-4 weeks should do it.
Pinch leaves from the tips of your basil as soon as the plant has two sets of "true" leaves. This will encourage your basil to grow full and bushy.
If you want to keep your basil around for a long time, keep it from going to seed. To do this, keep the basil from drying out or being scorched and pinch off any budding flowers 1" below the flower to keep the plant from producing seeds and becoming bitter.
Harvesting Basil
Primarily Adapted From Fiscars.com
To keep your basil flavorful and full, follow these easy steps:
Harvest regularly. Even if you don't need it, aim to remove about 1/3 of the leaves each month to encourage new growth.
Snip the stem just above the point where two large leaves meet.
Fresh Basil vs. Dry and Best Practices
Primarily Adapted from Spiceography.com
As counterintuitive as it might seem, the biggest difference between fresh basil and dry is flavor. Think of it this way: In getting rid of the water, dried basil has been concentrated. It also tends to be mintier without the note of anise that fresh can otherwise have. This is because certain volatile oils get lost during the drying process. There is also a difference in texture. Unlike the brittle, crumbly texture of dried, fresh basil has a similar texture to spinach.
As far as cooking goes, you can generally use dried basil as a substitute for fresh and vis versa. The same does not hold true for uncooked applications (hence the live plant you have been given. A lot of it has to do with texture, although the ability/necessity to use it differently within the same dish in a cooked recipe changes things.
With dried, you add it in earlier in the process. The longer cooking time allows the flavors to fully release and diffuse into the dish. Too late in the process and it might overpower the rest of the dish. Fresh, on the other hand, requires a shorter cooking time and so must be put into the dish later.
Dried basil works best in dishes that use a medium to long cooking time. The more time cooking, the more flavor it adds to the whole. Dried is best in pasta sauces and traditional cooking that can cook for hours.
Fresh is best in salads, pestos and other raw creations where the brighter flavor and color will complement the other ingredients.
Main Event:
Watermelon Basil Ice
As Adapted from ForksOverKnives.com for use by the Brown Deer Library Cook Book Club
Prep: 5 min. ● Total: 3-4 hrs.
Ingredients
6 cups cubed fresh ripe watermelon
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
Place the watermelon, basil, and lemon juice in a blender. Process just until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a shallow airtight freezer container. For best results, freeze for 3 to 4 hours until the texture is frozen yet scoopable. Use a metal ice cream scoop to portion into serving dishes.
Freeze any leftovers. To serve again, thaw at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping.
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