I always plant basil in my vegetable garden because I love Caprese salad and pesto all summer long. Basil, a member of the mint family, is one of my favorite herbs. The variety I’ve always planted is Genovese because I love the way it smells. I plant it alongside my tomatoes because tomatoes and basil make great companions.
This year I decided to add some new varieties of basil – Lemon basil, Lime basil, Purple basil and Sweet basil. While I’m not yet sure what I’m going to do with these new varieties in the kitchen, I really enjoy their different fragrances in my garden!
The fragrance of the lemon basil I planted is probably my second favorite so far, after my Genovese. I will try it in lemonade and lemon basil chicken for starters, and will certainly enjoy smelling it all summer long.
The purple basil has the most distinctive and beautiful color, so I know I’m going to enjoy it visually. I’m most curious about making purple pesto as many blogs I checked out recommended it for its wonderful flavor in pesto.
My lime basil is equally intriguing for its wonderful fragrance and I’ll be anxious to try it in lime basil sorbet, pesto, chicken, fish and pasta dishes for a different flavor.
Sweet basil will be easier to figure out, as it is recommended for all tomato dishes, pesto, beans, cheeses, chicken, eggs, fish, marinades, mushrooms, pasta and pasta sauces and salads.
So, at a minimum, I’m going to have a fun summer full of experimental pestos. I can’t wait to discover their different flavors!
