Thursday, December 1, 2011

Sweet Basil, From Garden to Table, And Starting Over

I love the wonderful smell of fresh basil leaves. My basil plants was really lush and healthy a couple of months back. I have not been taking care of my garden for the past two months and my plants are not very happy! I should have cut and pruned off the stems when it starts to flower to encourage more growth but well, that did not happen.


My basil plant in September  : )


In November...  : (


I removed the whole plant as the stems and branches are not healthy. Harvested all the leaves, what did I do with all the leaves? ....


Made a jar of delicious Basil Pesto. It was my first attempt at  making this sauce and definitely won't be the last. I love it. Have you tried Basil Pesto before? It really is delicious and healthy. If you want to give it a try, the recipe is over at my kitchen, click here. What to do with this sauce? You can pour it over your cooked spaghetti, made some bread with it, cooked it with chicken, use it in salad, etc... ! How did I use my jar of Basil Pesto? ....



I made a delicious Pesto Pizza with a delightful crispy crust. If you are a pizza lover, you must certainly try this. For the recipe, click here.


I have a few basil seedlings in my potted garden, which hopefully will grow healthy with lush green leaves. I have finished my jar of pesto, and eagerly waiting for my basil plant to grow, for my next jar. 


Happy Gardening !


16 comments:

  1. I really admire you. I had lots and lots of basil but the Thai type. I intentionally bought a bottle of pesto to try and thought that might inspire me to convert my plant into pesto. Now the bottle is still barely touched. No one seems to be able to appreciate it. I am not blaming the pesto. Probably I didn't mix and match right.

    As wrt the plant, I find that growing with seeds is very easy, so there is no real need to feel sad if the original plant reach its term.

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  2. I have plenty of basil in my garden myself..thanks to you, now I could put them into good use..putting them on the pizza sounds really good..thanx!!

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  3. Our basils still so small buat siput pijak-pijak je ;-). Well the weather here is just warming up. Wah for pizza also look very sedap...drooling now. I need to take a break from my reading and search for food. Tiba-tiba lapar.

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  4. Basil self seeds very easily! Don't worry. Looking at the seeds, you sure will have Basil everywhere after some weeks!
    Thanks very yummy looking Pizza! Any Delivery to my house? hahaha....

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  5. luv it! nutin beats the taste of fresh homemade pesto,right...:)

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  6. I just bought a blender and one of the reasons was to make some basil pesto from my thai basil in my garden. Not sure how thai basil will taste compared to traditional basil... but I am excited to find out. I'm sure it will be great because everything i make with the thai basil is very flavorful! My basil plants are looking a bit scraggly too because I used most of the basil for Basil chicken while my parents were here. Anyway, thanks for your post I will try the recipe for your pesto on your kitchen site.

    Best,
    K
    The Malaysia Project

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  7. Looks good.... have yet to try making basil pesto as yet...

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  8. I just love fresh Basil from my Garden, but this time of the year it starts to die back, so I will just have to come and see you beautiful plants. Hope you are having a great day and thanks for sharing!
    Miz Helen

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  9. I have basil plants in my garden. Love the fragrance and taste. DIY basil pesto is a great idea!

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  10. Ahhh, the wonderful smell (and taste) of sweet basil. I love it.

    Sending warm wishes across the miles,

    Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green island

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  11. Wow, looks tasty! If there is one thing I love, it's eating my own produce. My own potted garden yields wonderful cherry tomatoes and bitter melons. Stir-fried with eggs, they are a staple breakfast.

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  12. You can never go wrong with pesto. Yum!! Jealous of your fresh basil in November!

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  13. I have it in my garden and it is wonderful to cook pesto or with pasta with tomato sauce... :-)

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  14. Hi Joyce!

    I just harvest some basil from my one and only plant. Do I use the flowers too?

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