My Baby Basil Leaves
The story of my little basil plant.
As I was wandering the supermarket keeping an eye out for any produce that was on sale, I came across a small stash of mini-basil pots. I didn’t think twice before picking it up. The smell of fresh basil is one of the best in the world. Lemony, clean, and soothing….it reminds me of dinners at my mother’s house and my grandpa’s garden. And since I was so far removed from a garden of any sort, why not try to shelter this little plant on my windowsill?
It’s been a week and so far, so good. Basil is quite a hardy plant. All it needs is enough water to keep the soil damp and sunlight. I don’t get much direct sunlight where my window is, but its been doing a good job. The plant is doing its own little yoga as it bends its vines towards the window to get as much light as it can. A few sprouts are shooting up, so I guess that means it’s settling in for good!
Pick the tops first!
My grandfather was the first to show me how to grow and care for summer herbs and vegetables. Though much of it I still believe is so ingrained in habit that he could not explain it even if he wanted to, I managed to learn the basics. He would grow the plants ten or twenty in a row, enough for my grandparents, my family, and to give away to various neighbors and friends. The plants needed to be a good 5 inches away from each other, and when they grew to about 2 feet, they needed a stick in the middle for the vines to wrap around. That is, if you let them grow that big. Basil leaves can’t grow too much, as the spiky shoots would overtake the plant. Plus, why grow an herb so tall? Aren’t you supposed to use it? Nevertheless, they were beautiful as they grew and I loved the fragrance they emitted.
To pick the plant correctly, and to encourage it to keep growing, you need to pick the top bunches first. Don’t bother with the single leaves unless they are quite gigantic. The bunches on top should look like stars, with a little green flower in the middle signaling the center of the bunch. Like so..
Basil by Marmot
The best way to use basil is to use it raw. Dried herbs don’t do the real herbs any justice. Yes, they are convenient, and they have its purpose, but the real thing is irreplaceable. And yes, I just cooked them in my tomato sauce I made a few days ago. The basil flavor diminishes as it is cooked, so if you are going to place them in a dish to cook, put it in at the last minute. That way, most of the flavor is still there.
Pesto sauce is perhaps one of the most famous ways to showcase fresh basil. With a little olive oil, salt, pepper, grated cheese, and pine nuts if you wanted them, bunches of basil can turn into a velvety, green cream coating every strand of pasta. It’s one of my indulgences in the summer, and one of my best memories in my mother’s kitchen.
And like all other foods, there is a legend behind it. Basil was once (and to me, still is) a sacred herb in the Mediterranean world. So much so that women were forbidden to pick it. Harvesting the plant was a ritual, assigned to religious priests that cleansed their hands in three different springs before touching the leaves. He had to isolate himself from all impurity during this process, as the plant were considered so fragile and precious that nothing but perfection would be acceptable.
My little basil plant is mine, a woman’s, and I may not wash my hands in more than one “spring” before touching it, but I do care for it dearly and hope it finds its windowsill suitable enough to offer me its fragrant leaves.
Reach for the Sky!
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