Loads of Basil & Cucumbers (Full Version)

All Forums >> [Fun] >> Home & Garden



Message

joyfulmn -> Loads of Basil & Cucumbers (8/10/2008 4:00:39 PM)

Once again my best crop seems to be basil! I love the smell but, other than pesto, pesto and more pesto, any good suggestions what I can do with it?


Since we've gone pretty far with basil I'm adding Cucumbers to the this thread so that it's legal to discuss. [;)]



cynthia -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/10/2008 4:14:10 PM)

Basil is good in spaghetti sauce.
I have never been able to keep a basil plant alive. I bought it again this year and it died.



joyfulmn -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/10/2008 5:25:03 PM)

Ok, so we need some sort of middle ground here. I have too much, you don't have enough...... [;)]

If I manage to get enough tomatoes to can this year I'll put a couple leaves in each jar like my mil used to do.

Deer don't eat basil, nor do rabbits, or raccoons, or skunks, or whatever else is out there. But they do mess with the tomato plants! That is until we put up the electric fence. [sm=cooltilt.gif] Maybe the season will hold out long enough to have some tomatoes to go with my basil!



HisCovenant -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/10/2008 6:11:58 PM)

My basil is growing like a weed, too!!

I make a salad with fennel bulb out of it. You can make pizza sauce with it. My best friend has a salad with torn bread and loads of basil. You can make tomato and mozarella salad out of it. Let me know which of these recipes sounds good to you and I will give you further instruction.

Everyday Italian uses it all the time. Check out her site at the food network.

I hope someone else has some good ideas... I'd like a few new ideas, too.



Sadey -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/10/2008 6:16:37 PM)

My favorite thing is to take a piece of french bread, cut diagonally so its bigger. Slice some tomatoes and lay basil leaves on top drizzle with olive oil. Let set at room temperture for 30 minutes. Place tomato slices on bread and top with mozzarella cheese and put under a broiler.



magiceraserbrush -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/10/2008 7:12:57 PM)

[8D]Dear joyfulmn Basil can be used in many different things and it also good for tea. You can help others by giving them a smile or asking if they need your help that is what I do and it works.



dawnsgleam -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 2:31:41 AM)

Someone told me tomato-basil pie is really good. In an article about television cooks, I think one of the cooks favorite foods was basil salad. I think there's also a salad with just tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese that's good.



Auben -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 9:32:45 AM)

I'm jealous. Mine came out miniature this year and the 3 Walmart plants I bought to make up aren't putting out fast enough for my pesto-hungry family.

bruschetta
pesto pizza
and basil-mozz salad were going to be my suggestions

Plus you can freeze it with a coat of olive oil and have ready-made pesto for the winter.



joyfulmn -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 11:25:44 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: HisCovenant
I make a salad with fennel bulb out of it.
My best friend has a salad with torn bread and loads of basil.

These look quite interesting to me. I'd love you to share them.

Sadey, that sandwich sounds like something I might try with myself and Friend Hubby ... if my tomatoes ever ripen. A nice change from BLTs although I'm not sure I can get FH past those. [8|] OK, skip FH, I'll try it for myself when I get tomatoes. [:D]

All these others sound like fun too. Please keep them coming for both HisCovenant and myself.

Auben, I don't know if the variety of Basil makes a difference. It sounds like you started your first run yourself as well. I've been using Genovese Basil seeds - started indoors. I have yet to try lemon or... whatever the other variety was.



HisCovenant -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 1:20:03 PM)

Best friend's recipe, I believe. I'll make sure that's it and post a correction if that's wrong.

Here's the fennel bulb salad. I've never use tricolor tomatoes in mine. I use either grape or cherry tomatoes.

I don't know what type of basil I have, either. Last year I couldn't keep it alive and this year I have way too much off of one plant!!



Auben -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 1:34:16 PM)

I think I stunted the first 2 plantings of Genovese basil along with my peppers. I guess the basement is just too cold in March-May for their seeds. (We only keep the heat at 63ish so the basement is in the mid to late 50s).

But I did reseed in May in my window and outside so I have no idea why those are so small. My last planting of lemon basil is finally coming along though. They're finally 8 inches tall. [:D]



HisCovenant -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 1:36:43 PM)

You must really like basil, Auben.



joyfulmn -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 2:17:48 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Auben
I think I stunted the first 2 plantings of Genovese basil along with my peppers. I guess the basement is just too cold in March-May for their seeds. (We only keep the heat at 63ish so the basement is in the mid to late 50s).

I wonder how much power a heating pad on low would take. I know they started producing some heating mats for seedlings a while back. That might be your ticket to get things sprouted well. You may not have to have heat the whole time, maybe just a couple weeks or so. Besides, growing them in the basement, I'm guessing you have them under grow lights or fluorescents and those give off a reasonable heat.



ChiefWannahakaloogie -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 3:21:47 PM)

quote:

Once again my best crop seems to be basil! I love the smell but, other than pesto, pesto and more pesto, any good suggestions what I can do with it?

oven sandwiches are awesome. use homemade sandwich bread, put tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, cheese, and tons of chopped fresh basil. put it under the broiler for about 15 minutes or so, until it looks done. amazing stuff, especially if you load on the basil.

basil goes excellent on pizza. you can pretty much add it as a topping to any pizza you make. a few weeks ago i made a mushroom-mozzarella pizza, with loads on basil on top and in the sauce i made.

also, someone mentioned adding it to spaghetti sauce. i agree, i never make a spaghetti sauce without it.

quote:

Auben, I don't know if the variety of Basil makes a difference. It sounds like you started your first run yourself as well. I've been using Genovese Basil seeds - started indoors. I have yet to try lemon or... whatever the other variety was.

theres also sweet basil, which is what i grow. it really doesn't matter that much which variety you use for which recipes, unless your a traditionalist who sticks to recipe rules, but what fun is that? [8D]

quote:

But I did reseed in May in my window and outside so I have no idea why those are so small. My last planting of lemon basil is finally coming along though. They're finally 8 inches tall.

im sure you guys all know, but basil loves loves loves full sun all day! i have one of my basil plants on my covered patio, and compared to my other four or five plants that i have in container gardens across the driveway, which get full sun all day long, its very small and has produced a much smaller crop than the others. may have something to do with your problem *shrugs*

and of course you have pesto [:D] thats always an easy one to do. i found a pesto cookbook full of different pesto recipes a few months ago, and i haven't gotten a chance to try many of them, but theres a bunch of different pestos you can make with basil.

oh and i've written an awesome recipe for tomato-basil bread, which is delicious eaten with cream cheese. let me know if your interested in the recipe.



Cloak -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 5:02:52 PM)

I say you may also add it to your refreshing chilly lemonade as a decoration.

I love its aroma and fragrance!



HisCovenant -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 8:46:11 PM)

I made pesto a bit differently by reserving oil off my sundried tomatoes.



LoyalGypsy -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 8:59:03 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: HisCovenant

My basil is growing like a weed, too!!

I make a salad with fennel bulb out of it. You can make pizza sauce with it. My best friend has a salad with torn bread and loads of basil. You can make tomato and mozzarella salad out of it. Let me know which of these recipes sounds good to you and I will give you further instruction.

Everyday Italian uses it all the time. Check out her site at the food network.

I hope someone else has some good ideas... I'd like a few new ideas, too.


Greetings

quote:

My basil is growing like a weed, too!!


Same here!!

AND…We also have another slight overabundance...

My wife is a seed saver; last year she must have mislabeled the cucumbers as zucchini and we are all cumbered out at the moment! [sm=error.gif]

quote:

Let me know which of these recipes sounds good to you and I will give you further instruction.

How about something in the line for cucumbers???

We have already gone full circle..[:D]



LG



HisCovenant -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 9:07:04 PM)

I'd do cuke sandwiches, which is the only way I like cukes. Shread the washed cuke, salt, let sit for 30 minutes and drain- pressing out all the water. Add minced onion and cream cheese. It's great on whole wheat bread or triscuits.



joyfulmn -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 10:27:25 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: LoyalGypsy
How about something in the line for cucumbers???


CUCUMBERS - I've got a recipe somewhere for "Cinnamon Apple Rings" made with.... you guessed it cucumbers. [:D] There, I just found it... it does take alum and red food coloring is suggested but I often use beet juice as a substitute. Although I didn't try that on this particular recipe. Let me know if you're interested.

I'll go see if I can find what other creative things I did that year.



joyfulmn -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 10:35:17 PM)

More on Cucumbers -
I don't see anything specific. I've often used cucumbers and zucchini interchangeably. Just scoop out the center seed area if you don't want the extra moisture from the cukes.

I also found Cucumber Dill Shrimp Dip in my recipe file.

I'm assuming you already went through Dill Pickles which are very easy to make (assuming dill is available) and Bread & Butter Pickles. [:)]



joyfulmn -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/11/2008 10:53:27 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: ChiefWannahakaloogie
[unless your a traditionalist who sticks to recipe rules, but what fun is that? [8D]

oh and i've written an awesome recipe for tomato-basil bread, which is delicious eaten with cream cheese. let me know if your interested in the recipe.

Recipes have RULES??? I thought recipes were merely suggestions! Don't know that I've found many recipes I haven't changed in some way. [8D]

Do share the bread recipe. It sounds intriguing.

All these recipes with tomatoes are making me extremely anxious. If those tomatoes don't hurry up some will soon be fried green tomatoes! Which I learned to make on CW[:D]



Wonder_Woman -> RE: Loads of Basil & Cucumbers (8/12/2008 2:16:09 PM)

How about hummus? I like to add sun dried tomatoes, fresh garlic and basil. Yummy with fresh veggies and pitas.



ChiefWannahakaloogie -> RE: Loads of Basil & Cucumbers (8/12/2008 4:05:28 PM)

quote:

Do share the bread recipe. It sounds intriguing.

tomato basil bread
1 c. water
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 1/4 tsp olive oil
1 tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbs chopped fresh basil
2 tbs milk powder
1 tsp liquid lecithin
1/2 c gluten flour
3 c bread flour
shredded cheddar cheese for top (optional)
sprinkle the yeast in the water and let stand for 10 minutes. mix in all other wet ingredients. add the sugar, salt, basil, and milk powder. mix in the gluten flour and 2 1/2 c bread flour. remove from bowl and knead in the last 1/2 c bread flour. place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hrs, until doubled.
punch the dough down and shape into a loaf. place in an oiled loaf pan, cover, and let rise for another hour.
make one long slice down the top of the loaf, to give it room for rising while baking. brush with a beaten egg, top with shredded cheese, and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about 30 minutes.

ta-da.

quote:

How about hummus? I like to add sun dried tomatoes, fresh garlic and basil. Yummy with fresh veggies and pitas.

oh yes! hummus is awesome.



LoyalGypsy -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/12/2008 9:25:09 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: HisCovenant

I'd do cuke sandwiches, which is the only way I like cukes. Shread the washed cuke, salt, let sit for 30 minutes and drain- pressing out all the water. Add minced onion and cream cheese. It's great on whole wheat bread or triscuits.



[sm=thumbsup.gif]



LoyalGypsy -> RE: Loads of Basil (8/12/2008 9:26:59 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: joyfulmn

quote:

ORIGINAL: LoyalGypsy
How about something in the line for cucumbers???


CUCUMBERS - I've got a recipe somewhere for "Cinnamon Apple Rings" made with.... you guessed it cucumbers. [:D] There, I just found it... it does take alum and red food coloring is suggested but I often use beet juice as a substitute. Although I didn't try that on this particular recipe. Let me know if you're interested.

I'll go see if I can find what other creative things I did that year.



quote:

"Cinnamon Apple Rings" made with.... you guessed it cucumbers. [:D]
[sm=funny.gif]

Send it on!!!


LG



Page: [1] 2   next >   >>



Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.5 ANSI