A Basil Harvest

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Basils are the essence of the summer herb garden and culinary icons with a large and devoted following.

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7 Basil Recipes:

• Italian-Style Pesto 
• Creamy Summer Tomato and Vegetable Soup 
• Flatbread Pizzas with Marinated Grilled Vegetables and Basil 
• Polenta with Anise Basil Tomato Sauce 
• Potato and Green Bean Salad 
• Salad with Purple and Lettuce-Leaved Basils 
• Lemon or Anise Basil Biscotti 

Basils are the essence of the summer herb garden and culinary icons with a large and devoted following. These beautiful herbs, which belong to the genus Ocimum, display surprising aromatic subtleties due to their ability to hybridize across species lines, resulting in an almost infinite variety of aromas and tastes. The gene pool creates a plethora of clear, gemlike scents that range through lemon, camphor, cinnamon, clove, and anise. It is this diversity of aromas that both cooks and gardeners find so appealing. Like other herbs, basils are little chemical factories, producing aromatic essential oils that are contained in microscopic sacs on the leaves and stems. When a plant is brushed or chewed, the sacs are ruptured and the fragrance released.

The genus name, Ocimum, comes, appropriately, from the Greek word okimon, meaning “smell”. There are 30 to 150 basil species, depending on who’s counting, and numerous cultivated varieties. The species name of the most common culinary basils, basilicum, is the Latin translation of a Greek word meaning “king”. Basils are members of the mint family (Lamiaceae), a large amalgam of plants characterized by square stems and opposite leaves. Many are aromatic; thyme, oregano, rosemary, and lavender are other familiar herbs in the same family. A few basils are perennial in their native tropical habitats, but most are annuals, which die after flowering and setting fruits.

The genus Ocimum is like a huge extended family, filled with doting parents, favorite aunts and uncles, even the occasional oddball cousin. Your taste will determine what kind of basils you like to grow—spicy, minty, citrus, sweet, pungent, take your pick—and how much you use. Here are some general guidelines to help you get the most from your plants, preserve your harvest, and use it in the kitchen.

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