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Sensuous herb

Basil a symbol for many cultures, and sure sign of summer

In The Cooking of Italy, Waverly Root writes that "In the days when the great galleons toiled painfully home, beating their zigzag courses against the off-shore breezes in the Gulf of Genoa, their first hint of land was the wind-carried scent of sweet basil from Liguria. The sailors knew then that the green hills above Genoa, carpeted with aromatic herbs, would soon heave into sight."

Romantic as this recollection is, it is nonetheless correct in how beautifully distracting the fragrance of anise, mint, clove, citrus and hyacinth combine to form Basil’s unique aroma and taste.

I was surprised to find that there are many different basil species (30 to 150, depending on who is counting), each with their own characteristic smell and taste. Interestingly, the history surrounding this herb is as varied.

The botanical name for basil is Ocimum basilicum . Ocimum comes from the Greek word Okimon, meaning smell, while basilicum is derived from Greek basilikon, meaning King; only a royal was allowed to cut the sweet herb and then only with an instrument forged from a noble metal; iron being too elementary for the task.

The Emperor Constantine’s (A.D. 306 to 337) mother is said to have been led by smell to a patch of basil growing over the remains of the cross on which Christ was crucified. The plant, through this association, became a symbol of grief and redemption in those times.

In India it is also considered a sacred plant and even today the Hindu grow basil to remember departed loved ones.

Basil is considered a symbol of love in Italy, albeit with varied interpretations of the word. Pinned to a young girl’s clothing, a basil leaf proclaims chastity. Lovers exchange basil as a token of fidelity. A pot of basil set out on the windowsill serves as a signal that a woman is ready to entertain her lover. In Tuscany, it is believed that basil possesses erotic potency.

I bought a few small basil plants in the spring with the hope that the mid-summer plant would provide me with fresh, aromatic leaves for endless tomato salads and pasta with pesto. Alas, slugs love basil just as much as we do and when I went to water my precious plants they had been devoured down to soil level. Researching for this article I discovered that an easy way (although a little pricey) to deter these gastropods is to encircle the soil bed with a 10 cm high copper sheeting fence. The copper acts as a little electric fence for slugs, creating a non-lethal electrical charge to their soft bodies on contact. A less expensive option is to surround the plant’s base with broken egg shells. Basil also protects tomato plants against whiteflies and gnats, making for a good garden companion.

Tomato and basil are a wonderful flavour combination in the kitchen as well. The best summer salad is a simple layering of sliced vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, slices of bocconcini (a soft, unripened mozzarella cheese) and a simple sprinkling of balsamic vinegar, good olive oil and cracked black pepper.

Recipes

Pesto alla Genovese

I must preclude this recipe by pointing out that there are endless variations of this simple sauce. Despite being able to purchase this sauce at the grocery store, it is well worth the effort to make your own home-made pesto as the fresh taste is unsurpassed by any bought product. Different regions of Italy substitute different ingredients; adding walnuts instead of pine nuts, adding cream or adding a tomato or two to the finished sauce.

The word pesto comes from the Italian verb pestare, which means to pound. Ideally this sauce is made with a mortar and pestle as the cook can control the consistency of the sauce and deliver a more rounded and full flavour from the action of pounding the basil leaves. A more efficient and modern approach is to use a food processor or blender.

1 cup tightly packed fresh sweet basil leaves (stems and flowers removed)

2-3 (or more) good sized cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

salt to taste

1/2 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil (more or less for desired consistency)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or pecorino Romano cheese which is sharper, or a combination of the two

To mimic the pounding action of a mortar and pestle, place the basil leaves in a zip lock bag and gently pound with the flat side of a meat pounder or rolling pin, or even a hammer to gently bruise the basil leaves. This action ruptures the microscopic sacs of essential oil, releasing the plant’s characteristic flavour in a way that a food processor is unable to do. If you want you can skip this step.

Combine the basil, garlic, salt and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade; process until a smooth paste starts to form. With the motor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the sauce and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl with a spatula as necessary. The sauce should be thin enough to run off the spatula easily.

Mix in cheese(s), adjust salt, and serve. Pesto can be stored in the fridge with a layer of olive oil over the surface. Can be stored with or without the added cheese.

If you are adding pesto to boiled pasta, reserve 2-3 tablespoons of the pasta water and use it to thin the pesto when tossing it with the pasta.

Pesto is also a great sauce for grilled fish, chicken and vegetables. It is an easy garnish and flavour booster for soup. It can also be mixed with an equal amount of sour cream for a great vegetable dip.

Pesto Notes:

If the taste of fresh garlic is too sharp and strong for you try blanching the garlic cloves in boiling water (the pasta water) for 45 seconds. Run the garlic under cold water to stop the cooking and proceed with the recipe.

Different nuts can be used for different flavour. Almonds lend a sweetness to the sauce. Piquant pine nuts are creamy. Walnuts are meaty in flavour and texture. My mum, looking for a cheaper alternative to pine nuts, uses sunflower seeds to great effect. Toasting any of the nuts before adding them to the sauce also boosts their flavour.

Spicy Basil Sauce

This sauce is delicious with fish, especially salmon, shellfish and chicken. You can experiment with the type of basil that you use. Sweet basil works well but if you can get a hold of the spicy Globe basil or Thai basil (difficult to find in stores, try your gardener friends), you will find more pronounced licorice and mint tastes to them, which complement the Asian influence in this sauce. This recipe comes from Creating Gourmet Gifts by Barbara Beckett.

1 cup basil leaves, chopped

10 garlic cloves (yes, 10), chopped

2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 tablespoons chopped chillies (bird’s eye are best; jarred chilli sambal works too)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

11/2 tablespoons olive oil

11/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Store in sterilized jars in the fridge with a layer of oil on the paste to seal it.