I have a huge bunch of BASIL... besides PESTO, what should I do with it?

Answer 1

Get some focaccia bread (not too thick).
Spread it with a nice layer of cream cheese.
Then layer on top whole basil leaves and sliced Roma tomato.
Sprinkle with salt and lemon pepper.
Bake it in your oven at 325 until it looks like the tomato is hot and the cream cheese is not quite melting down over the sides.
This is VERY tasty!!
ENJOY!

Answer 2

How about Ice-cream.... this is really delicious.

100ml water
100g caster sugar
Your large bunch of basil

600ml double cream
400ml can of condensed milk
45ml vodka

Heat the sugar and water gently till dissolved, cook for 10 minutes until you are left with a syrup.

Put into a blender with the basil and whizz till smooth

Whip the double cream till it is 4 times its original size, fold in the vodka and condensed milk and whip until firm.

Fold in the basil syrup and mix well.

Pour into a container and freeze for 8 hours, stirring every hour or so to keep it smooth

Enjoy! Its delicious, grown-up ice-cream.

Answer 3

I grow my own Basil and what i do is,
I get a jar and put olive oil in it and add Crushed Garlic and Basil cut up fine and give it a good shake , then i Cut up some Feta into 1 cm blocks and put it into the jar and make sure the Feta is covered with Oil , you can also add Olives if u like ... Hope enjoy .. you can serve it with your salad or just eat it with a cocktail stick with some drinks ... Cjay

Answer 4

I grow basil all the time and I love it.

It has a natural affinity with tomatoes, so a simple salad using sweet, sliced tomatoes dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar is greatly enhanced by roughly tearing and scattering fresh basil over it.

It works in all Italian cooking with, or instead of oregano, and a favourite recipe of mine is to roughly chop some onions, peppers courgettes and tomatoes, scatter them with torn basil leaves, driaazle with olive oil and bake for 30 mins, turning occasionally. It's nice to have some crispy, charred bits at the edges of some of the veggies.

A lazy appetizer is a small salty cracker with a slice of tomato, a sliuce of buffalo mozarella and, on top - ? You guessed it!!

$se it in ratatouille, or use it in agreen salad - sure has more taste than iceberg lettuce alone!

Freeze individual leaves in ice cubes to put in your bloody marys.

And so on

Answer 5

You could make....


bruise it lightly and add to warm olive oil and make basil olive oil....then place in airtight container.

a pasta salad and chop it up and put it in the salad.

a few leaves chopped up in a garden salad

chicken cutlets stuffed with basil slami and mozzarella cheese...with pasta marinara.

grape tomatoes, garlic, olive oil....salt and pepper to taste. Pan fry until tomatoes pop open. rip basil and throw over top.

sun dried tomato & basil salad with chunks of mozzarella

make a focaccia bread with basil, garlic, and thinly sliced tomato.


Just a few Ideas.

Answer 6

try Beef Canapes with Basil Mayonnaise check it out from the appetizers section:
http://recipescorner.blogspot.com/

Answer 7

Make a big batch of tomato sauce or soup or in pasta

Or you can hang it upside down in window to dry it them crush it up and store in a zip lock bag to keep dried herb for later use

Answer 8

Lots of good suggestions already, but I'll add one more. We use it like lettuce on sandwiches, in wraps and on burgers. It adds a great flavor.

Answer 9

add it a small container of olive oil with chopped garlic and let set for a while it is great for sauteing your meat for Italian dishes

Answer 10

I use for topping on pizza, tear it up in salads, use it for the aroma, crushed in a bowl.