| Basil is most
commonly associated with Italian and Thai Cuisine. It's not commonly known that basil
originated in India. It was brought to the Mediterranean via the spice routes in
ancient times. Basil spread to other parts of Asia, and became popular in the use of
curries in Thailand. The Hindi name for basil is Tulsi meaning Sacred Basil. |
|
| In ancient
Rome, the name Basilescus, referred to Basilisk - the fire breathing dragon thought to be
the charm against the beast. Perhaps the ancient Romans were onto something as today
basil is used as an antidote to venom. |
|
| The
Greek word for basil means royal or kingly. It was believed that only the king himself
should harvest this herb, and only with the use of a golden sickle. In Romania, basil took a more romantic turn. When a man
accepts a sprig of basil from a woman,, he is officially engaged.
And the Italians, well they became
world renowned culinary
experts using basil to give unique and erotic flavors to food. |
|
| As you can see from the
History section, basil came from warm and mostly sub tropical to tropical
regions. Basil is an
annual for colder climates and likes at least 5 hours of hot sunlight and plenty of water.
At the Cheese Factory Restaurant, we like to feed our herbs and vegetables with
organic composts and Miracle Grow. This produces great flavor to the plant as well
as
increasing its yield. A well fed basil plant is more resistant to pests and bugs.
Be sure to pinch back the top and cut
off any flower spikes. This will encourage more growth and keep the plant producing up
until the first frost.
|
|
| You can grow basil
inside as long as it gets enough warmth and light. However, it can be a bit of a
Royal Princess in colder climates where central heating is used. You need to water
your plants regularly and even spray them with water to keep them growing throughout the
winter. We normally
pull our basil plants out at first frost and take care of them in the green houses, since
we use the herb a lot in our restaurant menu. |
|
| This is where the fun
begins. Basil has such a wide variety of uses in cooking. With over 12 varieties of
basil you can have fun with a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and pastas. |
|
|
| Sandwiches: Sweet
Basil makes a great addition to any sandwich. Our customers love our Euro Delight
which combines basil with brie cheese and our special vinaigrette and garden
vegetables. Great with cheese, for lacto
vegetarians try it in a salad sandwich with tomatoes. |
|
|
| Try Sweet Basil
or Lemon Basil to liven up your Salads and Pasta. Add the
leaves whole if you can handle the strong flavor. Or gently rip them into smaller
pieces. If you take to basil with a knife be careful as bruising the leaves takes
the flavor away. |
|
|
| Thai Basil is great in Thai Curries and Stir Fries.
You can also use Sweet Basil. Both varieties give you a licorice zesty tang
to your vegetables. We use basil in our famous Thai Stir Fry which is one of the
most popular dishes at the Cheese Factory. This recipe and many pestos, dressings
and pasta dishes using basil are available in our cookbook. |
|
|
