Basil and Herbs

Basil is one the best herbs that I agree with. It tastes fresh and sweet and is perfect with tomatoes. In fact, it's often called as the "tomato herb". Often I thought that it's not available fresh, until I noticed that cooking shows on TV often use fresh leaves. Italian restaurants we've eaten in also use fresh basil as garnish on pastas. They have it as topping for simple pizzas (which I enjoy to the max). So I'm shocked to find basil in SM Makati, of all places!

Here they are...growing nicely out of neat little pots. They need minimal attention, and need only a few spritz on their leaves and some water in the pot. They need sun, of course, but need to be kept in a shaded area, maybe in the garage or in a sunny area of your kitchen.

This is sweet basil. The leaves are very, very, green. They just look a bit yellow because of the light indoors or maybe just my camera.

I can only imagine the different things I can do with basil. Chopped, it can add nicely to a simple pasta sauce. It can give my Cheapskate Pizza an Italian twist. That's how I like pasta and pizza: stripped of meat and down only to the bare essentials: tomatoes, good olive oil and exquisite herbs. I'm thinking of making spaghetti sauce with this and some fresh oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary and yes, you got it...thyme. Perhaps with a side of pan seared fish like salmon or cream dory or bangus with dill. A crisp white wine.

All the herbs are available in SM. Yes...as in all I've mentioned in this entry. And here's the best part: All the herbs are available for just Php50 per pot. What a DEAL!