Do you cook with basil?

Hi, I love basil it has such a good aroma! I have two plants here at home and they grew quite big this year. I use it either fresh or I also dry the leaves then crumble them and place them in an airtight container to use when it is no longer available. I will have to freeze some this year. Last year we also made basil oil. A very plain dish of pasta but very tasty is made by frying some garlic and lots of crumbled fresh basil in olive oil then we add boiled spaghetti and mix everything for a few minutes. Serve on plates and we put shavings of parmeggiano on top and fresh black pepper. You can also add a tomato cut in small cubes while cooking to add some color. Enjoy your basil & happy mylotting!

Hi mama Lol in almost homes of all hindus here in india you can see basil plants in the court yard, basil (TULSI)is considered as holy plant, they are worshiiped by us as a goddess , we light lamps and insense sticks near it every morning and evening; the leaves have wonderful medicinal property.. we don't use it in cooking normally.. One can dry basil leaves in shade and preseve it as such or in freeze Thank you so much for this nice discussion. Professor. . Cheers have a great day ahead. God bless you. Welcome always.

I've got loads of basil this year and I have been throwing it in salads as well as cooking with it, it's fine to eat how you'd eat lettuce and to add flavour to dishes. I've heard there are different types of Basil too one is sweet and the other I assume isn't so sweet, I'm not sure what type I have but it tastes sweet so I assume it's the sweet one. I really like the macaroni cheese I made with Basil leeks and peas added and a lighter sauce it's much tastier than the old fashioned way. I posted that recipe on my blog it's here if you are interested. http://nancythroughthelookingglass.blogspot.com/2009/06/great-macaroni-cheese-recipe.html

hi mamacathie, I use fresh basil daily as I love the flavour, and seeing this has reminded me that I must freeze some leaves now in ice cube trays as the small plants don't flourish at all well in the winter. For cooking basil is always best added at the last moment to retain its flavour. For simple things like scrambled eggs the addition of some torn basil leaves at the end enhances them wonderfully. Mainly though I use basil as a salad addition, always to green leaves, wonderful with just tomatoes in olive oil, excellent on top of a soft cheese like brie on French bread.

You can add it to soups, salads, pastas, and tomato dishes. Chop it up if you are going to add it to pastas and soups. you can also use the whole leave for soups if you prefer. you can add it to sandwiches for that distinct aroma. You can add it into guacamole or salsa for a unique kick. You can pretty much add it to anything so let your imagination take over

You can add it to soups, salads, pastas, and tomato dishes. Chop it up if you are going to add it to pastas and soups. you can also use the whole leave for soups if you prefer. you can add it to sandwiches for that distinct aroma. You can add it into guacamole or salsa for a unique kick. You can pretty much add it to anything so