Sweet basil tastes like summer.

Basil comes to us from India, where it has been cultivated for 5,000 years. There are endless varieties — Thai, African Blue, Lemon, Pineapple, Cinnamon — in a rainbow of colors — purple, pale green, dark green and variegated.

Asian cuisines use Thai basil prominently. But sweet basil comes to us from the Mediterranean region, where it is a staple of Italian cuisine, perhaps because basil goes so well with all of the many Mediterranean vegetables — eggplant, squash, garlic, onions and (most of all) tomatoes.

The name comes from the Greek word for king — basileus. The French call it “Herb Royale.” It just wouldn’t be the summer season without the king of the herbs.

If you want to venture into “growing your own,” basil is a good place to start. It grows well in pots or the ground and can act as an insect repellant to other plants. Nurseries and farmers markets have plentiful plant starts right now.

Let it dry out between waterings. Pinch the leafy tips and blossoms off to keep the plant producing. The blossoms are edible and have the same bright, lemony flavor as the leaves.

Basil stalks should be available at the farmers markets throughout the summer or at groceries, so there’s no excuse not to brighten up salads, grilled meats, roasted vegetables or pastas with fresh herbs.

Trim stems, and store in a vase or glass of water for a week or more on your countertop. Or try the basil with roots still attached, available at many groceries. Any stems not used fresh can be dried indoors, hung from a cabinet pull or laid out on a wire rack. Once dry, store in a Mason jar or other airtight container. You’ll have the fresh taste of basil to enjoy all winter long.

The secret to chopping basil is the technique called “chiffonade,” which means “ribbons” in French. The thin leaves get crushed and are difficult to chop if you just cut them one at a time or loose. Stack five or six leaves on top of one another, and roll the stack into a cigar-shaped log. Slice the roll thinly, and enjoy the delicate ribbons.

Fresh basil should be added at the last minute to cooked items. Long cooking will diminish the flavor. So even if you’re ordering delivery pizza, some fresh basil added from your garden makes it a “local” treat.

Herbs take minimal effort to grow or prepare, yet they add so much to food. Chives, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, mint and oregano are all great to have on hand, but let the king reign over summer fare.

Melissa Petersen is the editor of Edible Memphis, a magazine that celebrates the abundance of local food, season by season. It is available at various locations around town. Contact her at [email protected].

Lemon-Basil Mayonnaise

1/2 cup basil leaves, cut chiffonade

Zest from 1 lemon

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Chill, covered until ready to use on sandwiches (try it with thinly sliced tomato and cucumber.)

Source: Recipe by Melissa Petersen

Pickled Onion and Basil Crostini

1 cup red wine or rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 tbsp. pickling spice

2 red or sweet onions, thinly sliced

1 baguette, sliced

Olive oil

Salt

1 cup fresh goat cheese, at room temperature

Fresh basil, chopped

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, bring vinegar, brown sugar and pickling spice to a boil. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool and store covered, in the refrigerator, in a glass container (a Mason jar works well), until ready to use.

Brush sliced baguettes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill each side of bread until marked and toasted. Spread each toast with goat cheese. Top with 1-2 teaspoons of pickled onion and garnish with chopped basil. Serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from recipe Tia Harrison

More on herbs

Learn more about herbs at the 2012 Herb Symposium June 9, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Memphis Botanic Garden. Culinary demos, making salves, medicinal herb walks, herbal market with books, plants, herbal items and more. Memphis Botanic Garden or Memphis Herb Society members: $100; nonmembers $125. Call (901) 636-4128. For more information or to register: go to memphisbotanic garden.com.

Bill & Sheila’s A-Z of herbs

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All About Basil

Basil is one of the most popular herbs used in cooking today. It is a very versatile herb, and is used in Italian, Thai and Vietnamese cuisines amongst many others.

It has a warm, aromatic but gentle flavour, with a hint of spicy aniseed. It’s well known that it goes extremely well with tomatoes, where it can be served raw in salads such as the classic Italian Caprese, or cooked into a rich tomato sauce for pasta or other hot dishes.

Basil is also popular as the prime ingredient of pesto sauce (known as pistou in France), which is made by pounding fresh basil leaves with pine kernals, olive oil, parmesan cheese and garlic to produce the distinctive thick green sauce so often used with spaghetti or as a dipping condiment.

Like most herbs, basil is widely available in both fresh and dried forms. Again like most herbs, the fresh version is generally considered to be superior. If you come across a cheap and bountiful supply of the fresh herb, you can dry it slowly in a very low oven before crumbling it and storing in airtight jars. This method of preserving it costs much in terms of flavour though, and a better option is to puree the leaves and freeze into ice cubes, which can then be dropped from frozen straight into the recipe you’re cooking.

Basil can be quite expensive to buy in the fresh form, so if you become a fan of the herb you might like to try growing it yourself – it’s much cheaper that way, and you can also ensure that the leaves you’re using will be as fresh as can be! It’s also one of the easier herbs to grow and so is ideal for beginners.

Basil is a native of warm climates, and so needs to be planted in a sunny and sheltered spot if it is to flourish. If you have a patio or terrace with a south facing wall, then sowing it in a pot there is ideal. It’s all the better too if you can grow it close to your kitchen for easy picking whenever you need it!

Left to itself, basil will tend to grow into a tall, thin, ungenerous-looking plant with little in the way of edible leaves. You can encourage a more rewardingly bushy growth by ‘pinching out’ the plant as it grows, removing the top young leaves to encourage more sideways growth. Harvesting the herb regularly will also encourage more vigorous growth.

Basil is a tender annual, and will die off quickly in cold weather. You may be able to prolong its life by bringing it indoors at the first sign of a cold snap, or you could sow a succession of new plants indoors for a year-round supply.

Although it is mainly a culinary herb, basil does have some minor antiseptic properties, but is not widely used medicinally by herbalists. It is however a member of the wider mint herb family, and in common with its relatives it’s said to be a good digestive aid.

There are many varieties of basil available, but the most popular are the Genovese type which gives the typical authentic italian flavour and aroma, and the purple-leaved ‘holy’ basil which is used more often in Asian cooking.

Whichever variety you choose, and whether you decide to buy it or grow it, basil is a treat for your senses and a great addition to your culinary toolbox.

Bill & Sheila’s A-Z of herbs – Alfalfa

Basil

Originally, Basil was not the most popular herb in the bunch. Actually there were some who simply hated it, mainly the ancient people. The name basil means “be fragrant” but still various cultures battled with a love hate relationship over basil. Americans and Romans loved it while Hindus plant it in their homes as a sign of happiness. On the contrary it was the Greeks who despised it most but those from India and Persia were not too fond of it either. One place that took a special liking to Basil was Italy and to this day not many people prepare a classic pasta sauce without the Basil.

To this day basil and tomato sauce have formed somewhat of a marriage almost globally. Basil is very easy to grow as long as the temperature does not fall below 50 degrees and is in full sunshine. It is popularly used both in the fresh form as well as the dried. A rare known fact about Basil is that the longer it simmers in a dish the more the flavour intensifies. This makes sense as to why people simmer their pasta sauces for so long, to bring out all of the rich herb flavours. Normally in pasta sauces Basil is used in combination with Oregano. However, Basil is not just used for pasta or tomato sauce, it is also used for flavouring fish, vegetables, meats, and soups.

If you decide to grow an herb garden, you can thank the Basil plants for keeping the flies away as flies are also part of the group that does not care for Basil. Another interesting fact about Basil is that it was considered a royal herb with a strong association pertaining to love. Basil had a relationship with how men of a much earlier time planned on proposing to their fair maidens. The man would bring a branch of Basil and if the woman accepted his gift she silently agreed to love him and be faithful to him for eternity.

Basil is related to the Mint family and just knowing that should give you a good idea that it will have many medicinal uses as well. Right away most people associate anything mint with aiding the digestive system and also for its anti gas properties. Herbalists use Basil quite commonly for health ailments such as stomach cramps, vomiting, constipation, headaches and anxiety. When Basil is used for these purposes it is generally made into a hot tea for drinking. Some also claim that a nice hot cup of Basil tea can contribute greatly to a good night’s sleep. At herbal stores you can also purchase Basil capsules as well if you do not care for the taste of the tea.

Basil is still one of the most common household herbs used today and in most areas of culinary art it is a necessity there too. When used in its freshest form, Basil is torn from the plant and then just minced up with a knife. Usually somewhere nearby the Basil you will find some olive oil, garlic, and someone getting ready to prepare a fantastic tomato sauce.

Bill & Sheila’s A-Z of herbs – Basil