Basil - What All Can I Put It in or Do With It?

[ChefBeckyD]

Maybe try the salsa recipe we have in the catalog with an Italian flare. Don't add the pepper and put basil in place of the cilantro.

Bruschetta! I have done this! In fact, I am doing it for a show Thursday night! I have been doing the salsa for shows- but this host didn't want salsa....so - I use the onion, basil, tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, a little S&P, and a couple shakes of Balsamic vinegar! Serve it on baguettes instead of tortilla chips.....yummy!

 

[jrstephens]

OK, if I buy it at the store, I just put it in water and let it "root"??? Then, plant it in soil, in a pot, and put it outside in the morning sun??

I don't mean to sound stupid, but, as I said before, I have absolutely NO green thumb!! lolPaula

I planted mine from seeds. I got them at Walmart - any store with plants/ seeds should have basil seeds. I put the whole package in one pot - in hind sight I would recommending using two pots and half the seed in each pot.

I have mine planted in a pot on my front porch. Mine does get the afternoon sun b/c I do not have a porch on the back of my house which gets the morning sun and it has done amazing. Once it started growing I even took some of the plants out and made a hanging plant basket for another area of my porch.

This is has been VERY easy to grow. I water it every day to every other day depending on how hot it is and if the plants looks like it needs watering. I miracle grow it once a week.

I think you can have great success with it. I usually can grow things in the ground but nothing in a pot. I am hoping this year my thumb is changing!

 

[jrstephens]

Jennifer, when does your growing season start down south? I've had tomato plants ruined Memorial Day weekend in Denver with snow, so this year I was really careful (unnecessarily as it turns out but you never know) to not put any tender annuals out until right around then. We haven't put in veggies this year as we are in a new house and haven't planned all that out yet, but I love being able to go out and pull warm tomatoes off of the vine for a salad. Hmmmm, maybe I need to just dig a hole and buy a plant!

I planted my herbs in April after Easter - that is normally our last frost in Alabama. There was one weekend I had to bring my pots inside. I also planted some pepper plants at the same time I planted the herbs in pots too. I have two pepper plants, two basil pots, and parsley all planted in pots on my front porch.

I have my tomatoes planted in drums. I forgot to say earlier I also have cucumbers planted. I have 4 tomato plants in one drum; tommy toe tomatoes, a red and green bell pepper plant, and jalapeño plant in one drum; and my cucumber in another drum where they will run up my chain link fence. I planted these at the beginning of May - I think the first weekend.

My yard stays VERY wet, so, if I plant anything in my ground they will rot from too much water. My dad grew things in drums last years, so, I am doing it this year. I got one metal drum and my dad cut it in half for two drums. My FIL had a plastic drum, about the size of a good feed trough, and I used it too.

I also have pansies that are just now dieing. And a fern that I am actually getting to grow - i normally kill them within a month of getting them!!!!

Can you tell I am excited about my growing success!!?? I cannot wait for those first tomatoes and cucumbers!!

I am thinking of making pepper jelly with some of the peppers b/c I will NEVER eat all of them! I just mainly wanted to see if I could do it!!! ha!

 

[jrstephens]

OK, if you want an absolutely "mouth-watering" appetizer for your fresh basil, I HIGHLY recommend the Fresh Tomato & Basil Bruschetta recipe, right out of our Pampered Chef cookbook!! It's in the "It's Good For You" cookbook, and is a big hit EVERY time I make it!!
Paula

Can you post this? I think this is the only cookbook I do not have.

 

[jrstephens]

Are there different pesto recipes? I printed off AJPratts.

 

[pc ri lisa]

The PC recipe for Tomato basil squares are awesome!

 

[jrstephens]

Fresh basil repels flies. Keep planters of it growing by your doors to keep them from coming into the house.

Last night when I got home there were flies in my kitchen! My husband and son closed the door and was trying to kill them. Seeing my 3 year old do this was hilarious!

I could not belive we had just talked about Basil repeling flies and I get home to have them in my kitchen! I told DH about this post and he said well move the basil by the door!!! I bet he moves the nail this afternoon!

Do u think it would help if I made another pot and sat it in my house?

 

[Teresa Lynn]

You can also hang a gallon ziploc baggie filled with water by the door or on your patio it will repel them.
we do this when we have watermelon outside

 

[jrstephens]

You can also hang a gallon ziploc baggie filled with water by the door or on your patio it will repel them.
we do this when we have watermelon outside

I have one cut up in my refrigerator, I wonder if that is why they were in my kitchen?

 

[Paula R. Lewis]

FRESH TOMATO & BASIL BRUSCHETTA
Prep time: 15 minutes Bake time: 10-12 minutes

Nothing but the freshest ingredients will do when making this popular appetizer.

1 loaf Savory Canape’ French Bread (recipe follows)
3 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 1 pound)
½ medium zucchini, coarsely chopped (about ½ cup)
¼ cup snipped fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange bread slices on flat baking stone. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.

2. In Small Batter Bowl, combine tomatoes, zucchini, basil, garlic pressed with Garlic Press, vinegar, oil, salt and black pepper; mix gently. Using Medium Scoop, scoop tomato mixture over bread slices. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Yield: 24 appetizers

Nutrients per serving (2 appetizers): Calories 80 (15% from fat), Total Fat 1.5 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 14 g, Protein 3 g, Sodium 230 mg, Fiber 0 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving (2 appetizers): 1 starch (1 carb)


SAVORY CANAPE’ FRENCH BREAD
Serve this bread with dips, spreads or soups.
Prep and bake time: 50-60 minutes Cool time: 1 hour

2 tablespoons (½ ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Pantry Italian Seasoning Mix
1 package (11 ounces) refrigerated French bread dough

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray inside of Scalloped Bread Tube and lids with nonstick cooking spray; place lid on bottom of bread tube. Combine Parmesan cheese and seasoning mix; sprinkle evenly over bread dough. Fill tube with dough. Place lid on top.

2. Bake, upright, 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes. Remove bread from tube; cool completely. Cut bread into ¼-inch slices.

Yield: 24 slices (1 loaf)
Nutrients per serving (2 slices): Calories 70 (16% from fat), Total Fat 1 g, Saturated Fat .5 g,
Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 11 g, Protein 2 g, Sodium 180 mg, Fiber 0 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving (2 slices): 1 starch (1 carb)

***copied from The Pampered Chef’s “It’s Good For You” cookbook, page 11




OK, here you go! I hope you all enjoy this one as much as I do....in fact, I'm sitting here eating some right now!! lol

Paula

 

[Paula R. Lewis]

Oh, and since we no longer sell the bread tube, I just use French bread from the bakery section of either the grocery store or Sam's Club. It's actually cheaper, too!
I just sliced it and toasted it on the stone.

Tonight, however, it's just tortilla chips....still yummy though!!

Paula

 

[Chozengirl]

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
I eat basil off the stem. *BLUSH*
I LOVE basil!
All of those recipes are what I would do with them!
Or you can just toss pasta w/ butter chopped tomatoes and fresh basil.
Easy and YUMMY dinner!