Friday's Herbal - Basil

Hello!  I came back!  Before I dive into this week's herb - basil - let me give you a quick update on DH.  He had his surgery yesterday.  We were there at 6AM to sign in.  They wheeled him into surgery at 7:30.  Almost 2 hours later, the doctor came out to talk to me.  He said it went well.  They put screws and plates in to hold the fibula together, and hold the ankle back in place.  But they had to go in from the other side too, because the ligament and tendon was stuffed up between the joints and they had to pull it out and sew up the ligament.  He told me that they had sent DH over to Phase I recovery, then he'd go to Phase II, and in about 20 to 30 minutes they'd come get me.   It was another hour and I was getting really worried.  Apparently he had a little trouble with some of the intravenous drugs they gave him, had some breathing issues and they had to give him oxygen.  Really scary.

We hung out for awhile longer while they monitored his breathing and his pain, and they sent us home about 12:15.  He's mainly been sleeping since.  They've got him on some strong pain medication.  Even with taking the maximum dose, they told him that with this type of surgery his pain level was unlikely to be better than a 4 or 5 on the 1-10 pain scale, and that is most definitely where he is hovering.  He will be basically bedridden for the next two weeks, when he'll go back for a check and if all is well they will put a real cast on then.

Thank you to everyone for all your kind comments and happy, healing thoughts you have been sending our way:)

 Sweet Basil

So....basil!  Latin name: Ocimum basilicum.  To me, basil is the quintessential summer herb, and in August when all the tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and eggplant are ready to harvest - this is the month that basil shines!

When I was pregnant with my daughter 25 years ago, I could not stand the smell of basil, one of my favorite things in the world.  In fact, basil was one of the indicators that I was pregnant.  My mom had made this wonderful eggplant parmesan and I couldn't eat it.  I thought it was because I had the flu.  It was a nine month flu, and I had to forgo any food with basil in it for the duration.  We were living in California, where basil plants grow into giant basil bushes.  I had one outside of my front door and I had to rip it out, all the time holding my hand over my nose so I couldn't smell it!  My daughter, oddly enough, was born loving Italian food and still does.  It's one of her cooking specialties.  When she was a baby, not even eating solid food yet, she would get mad mad mad that we wouldn't let her have our pizza!

On to some other stories about basil.  In Italy,  basil was traditionally a sign of love.  If a woman put a pot of basil on her balcony, it meant she was ready to receive her suitor.  It was believed that if a man gave a sprig of basil to a woman, she would fall madly in love with him and never leave.  Probably she was hoping he'd make her some eggplant parmesan.

Basil wasn't always about love and cooking; in ancient times it was feared.  It was believed that the name came from the mythical beast the Basilisk, a reptile whose glance could cause instant death.

In India though, basil is a sacred herb of Vishnu and Krishna.  Sprigs of the species Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum) were placed on the breasts of the dead in order to protect them from evil and so they would be received in the next world.

Thai Basil

Medicinally, basil is used as a digestive aid.  A cup of basil tea will support digestion, relieve flatulence, stomach cramps, vomiting, and constipation.  It is also slightly sedative and can be used for nervous headaches and anxiety.  Extracts from the seed have been found to have an antibacterial effect. 

And still more... Basil is an ingredient in the liqueur Chartreuse.  The dried leaves can be added to potpourris for the fragrance, and an infusion can be used as a hair rinse to bring luster.  Basil is used in the cosmetic industry in the making of perfumes, lotions, and shampoos.

Basil is (typically) very easy to grow; sprinkle some seeds in your garden, pat them down, and you will have all the basil you can want.  I've written several times this summer about my battle with snails and cutworm, which apparently love basil.  It's so weird to me, because I've never had bugs eat my basil before.  I always just assumed that the fragrance was repelling to insects.  But no.

Basil loves the summer time, thrives in the heat and sun, and does not like to get chilly at all.  So wait until the ground warms up to a consistent overnight temperature of at least 50℉ before you sew the seed.  Ancient Greek and Roman physicians believed you had to yell and curse while sewing the seeds to guarantee a good crop.  I think that must be correct; when I did my first several plantings this summer, I was speaking softly to the seed; "grow little basil plants grow!" I crooned.  But by the time, after failure upon failure, that I planted them in pots I was definitely cursing!  The snails, not the basil.  But the point is, it's growing now:)

Basil likes a well drained, rich soil.  Add in some compost and manure to your garden bed when you are preparing it.  Plant your basil close to tomatoes and peppers to enhance their growth and to ward off white fly.  Basil does well in containers; just make sure you keep them watered.  You can also start your seeds indoors and transplant outside after all danger of frost is past.  Basil will continue to grow until the first frost of autumn.

Basil comes in countless varieties.  You can get cinnamon scented basil, or lemon, or anise - although it already has a strong anise smell in it's regular form.  There is purple basil and ruffly leaved basil.  Holy Basil is used as an ornamental rather than culinary herb.  The most common culinary forms are plain old fashioned Sweet Basil and Thai Basil.  Thai Basil is used mostly in - you guessed it - Thai food, but I found out this summer that it works just fine in place of Sweet Basil.

Don't ever let your basil flower.  As soon as it does it will go to seed and the leaves will lose their potency.  The best way to do this is just use it often.  Pinch off leaves from the tops of the stalks and use it in so many summer dishes.  Because basil doesn't like the cold, don't store the leaves in the refrigerator.  You can freeze basil with olive oil though.  Put some olive oil in the blender and add handfuls of leaves.  Blend until you have a nice green paste, then freeze this in an ice cube tray.  After the cubes are frozen, take them out and put in a plastic freezer bag and you will have basil all through the winter.  Use this basil paste to make pesto, add to soups, meatloaf, or pasta sauce.  Don't add any garlic to the paste when you freeze it, because the garlic will turn bitter in the freezer.

Basil is the perfect compliment to your summer produce.  Think eggplant parmesan, pasta primavera, lasagna, ratatouille,  caponata.  Are you hungry yet?  The list goes on.  I've been dreaming of the ratatouille I made last summer.  I'm going looking for some peppers tonight and it will be on the menu this weekend.  Here is a sorta recipe.  You will need a good handful of basil, some tomatoes, zucchini or other summer squash, small firm eggplant, such as Japanese eggplant, onions, a couple cloves of garlic, olive oil, and peppers - I used a combination of yellow gypsy peppers and some red bell peppers.  Oh and some kalamata olives if you want.

Slice the squash and eggplant, dice the onion, garlic, and tomatoes.  Chop up the basil and the olives.  Put each ingredient in its own separate bowl, and have a very large bowl handy.  Put some olive oil in the bottom of a large skillet, heat it up.  You want to cook each element separately so keep the flavors distinct.  So start with the onions; cook them over medium low heat until they are soft and translucent.  Add a little bit of salt.  You can add the garlic to the onions.  Cook for a minute; don't let it burn.  Then put these in the large bowl.  Next put your eggplant in the oil and saute, stirring, until it is browning and is soft and cooked through.  Again, add a little salt.  You want to salt each layer, but only a little, because it's all going to add up and you don't want it too salty in the end.  Add the eggplant to the big bowl.  Do the same with the squash and then the peppers.  Add more olive oil as needed.  Finally, add the chopped tomatoes to the pan; add salt and pepper and cook until the tomatoes are breaking down and the sauce thickens a bit, about 30 minutes.  Add the basil to the tomatoes, reserving some basil to add fresh at the end.  Let it cook a few minutes more.  Now you can start adding all of the ingredients back to the pan, and cook just to heat it through and meld the flavors a little.  Remove from the heat and add some really good, flavorful olive oil, and the chopped olives.  Stir it up.  Garnish it all with some fresh basil and grated parmesan.  This is a wonderful picnic dish.  After it has been sitting at room temperature, the flavors are just amazing.  They will meld, but still you can taste the individual ingredients.  Serve it with a crusty bread.  It's all silky and buttery, and just so so delicious.

I've managed to make myself seriously hungry now.  I think I'll go check on my patient and then make a sandwich.  The in-laws are coming over to watch over DH while I run to the store and the market stand down the street.  Have a wonderful weekend and I'll be back on Monday with some WIPs.  See you then!