I knew what I was going to do today. Weather permitting I would get outside and harvest our basil and not only make our dinner using it but make enough to have pesto a couple times during the winter. I planned ahead and we stopped by the grocery store to get more Parmesan cheese. We also picked up some milk, but you probably don’t care much about that!
Today I went out to the garden in the afternoon and did a few chores, planted a few things, potted a few more things for the plant swap this weekend, and gathered basil from the vegetable garden. I figured I had enough to make two or three batches of pesto at the most from our three Italian basil plants. I wasn’t even considering the cinnamon, lemon, or Thai basils although I have used them before to make pesto. I thought 3 plants certainly can’t have enough leaves to make a whole lot. But this gardener was wrong! Three plants produced lots of basil. Lots and lots of basil. I was surprised, very surprised.
There was so much basil that an hour after harvesting I was still picking and cleaning leaves. My wife arrived home and I had to send her out to pick up more Parmesan cheese while I continued to work. Dinner was delayed until nearly 8:00 PM while the pesto was completed. In the end we froze nine cups of pesto in addition to what we had for dinner. Assuming we have pesto once every two weeks throughout the fall and winter this pesto should last into April and just in time to plant more in the garden.
Here I was thinking that next year I really needed to do more with basil in the garden, that I just didn’t have enough. Sometimes it’s good to be wrong. Of course the best part about having all this basil is knowing it came right out of our garden!
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I bet your house smells wonderful. I planted Purple Ruffles last year and it was my all time favorite. Missed it this year.
Dear Dave
I'm with Anna on how wonderful your house must have smelled !
I have it in pots every year on the deck because I love herbs and those different scents .. I concentrate more on rosemary and parsley, but basil just smells so good I have to have that too : )
You have BIG bunches of it for sure!
LOL
Joy : )
Basil is so fragrant. I love how when you water it the scent is on the wind. Mine is still outside….I only have one or two plants of my own and one plant that my oldest needs to come and get. Did an herb bowl for her since she moved into her first 'out on her own' apartment.
I know your house smells wonderful indeed. The girls are getting so big! Have fun tomorrow. I'll be there in the spring and already notified Rhonda, the director for this fall swap.
Oh yum, Dave, what a fantastic harvest! Looks like the girls were enjoying it, too! We love to mix a little pesto with olive oil and a bunch of other spicy herbs, a touch of hot sauce, and salt to make dipping sauce for good bread. But our all-time favorite is simply stirring pesto and shredded white sharp Cheddar into hot pasta and enjoying it as a super-simple supper with a huge, luscious tossed salad. I envy you your bounty!
Holy cow! That is a LOT of Basil but it will be so yummy and tasty in your meals! Looking good!
A heaping harvest for sure. You have the best helpers there is. I love the smell of fresh herbs.
Enjoy your bounty.
Dave — good for you! That was a lot of work, but as you say, you'll have pesto until spring.
Basil is my favorite herb. The fragrance (yes, I grow mine in the fragrance garden and many other places, too). You are reminding me of tasks not done. My basil beckons…. maybe tomorrow.
Cameron
Are you planning on trying all the different varieties of basil Dave? My wife usually grows several, including a really nice purple variety (that I don't know the name of, and she's not here to tell me).
Wow, I had no idea three plants would be more than enough for one household. Did you grow your basil in pots or on the ground? Apart from pesto, try it on fried eggs and rice and grilled chicken and pork.