Basil, botanical name Ocimum basilicum is a tender low-growing herb that is grown as a perennial in warm, tropical climates, and is very susceptible to frost when grown outdoors in our area. Basil is originally native to India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. It is prominently featured in varied cuisines throughout the world including Italian, Thai, Vietnamese and Laotian. The plant tastes somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, sweet smell. The word basil comes from the Greek (basileus), meaning "rich", as it is believed to have grown above the spot where St. Constantine and Helen discovered the Holy Cross.

Nearly everyone is familiar with basil using it in pasta sauces and salads, but here are some hints. Basil is best used when fresh; in cooked recipes it is generally added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavor. The fresh herb can be kept for a short time in plastic bags in the refrigerator. The dried herb also loses most of its flavor, and what little remains tastes very different, without that sharp clean top note that fresh basil has.

Mediterranean cuisine frequently uses basil often combining it with tomatoes. Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce from the city of Genoa, its other two main ingredients being olive oil and pine nuts.

There are so many wonderful recipes that use basil it’s hard to choose just one so I won’t. Here are two wonderful recipes that highlight basil.

Potato Basil Gnocchi

Ingredients:

3 pounds russet potatoes
2 cups all purpose flour
1 large egg
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
black pepper

Directions:

1. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cook till potatoes are done.

2. Remove the skins from potatoes under cool water then pass through a vegetable mill or a ricer.

3. Make a well with the potatoes and cover with the flour. Add the egg in the center of the well and put the salt and pepper over it. Mix well till dough forms.

4. Sprinkle the basil all over the dough and work for about four minutes, till dough is uniform. Cut dough into six even pieces.

5. Roll the pieces of dough out into ropes about 3/4" wide and cut the ropes into 1" pieces.

6. Prepare an ice bath.

7. Boil the gnocchi in batches until it floats, about two minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer the boiled gnocchi into the ice bath and start the next batch of gnocchi’s into the boiling water.

8. Take the gnocchi’s out of the ice bath and place them into a bowl. Coat each batch with about 1 T of olive oil. Repeat until all gnocchi’s are cooked.

9. Serve as is or sprinkled with parmesan cheese or a marinara sauce.

Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Directions:

Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and whip until well chopped (do about 1/2 cup at a time). Add about 1/3 the nuts and garlic, blend again. Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container. Process basil pesto it forms a thick smooth paste. Repeat until all ingredients are used, mix all batches together well. Serve over pasta. Basil pesto keeps in refrigerator one week, or freeze for a few months.