Every home in Naperville should have at least one herb growing, located in a handy spot where it will not be overlooked and forgotten. Most herbs are easy to grow and are very undemanding. They can be planted within your perennials or annuals, but plant them where you will remember to harvest them to add to your salads, drinks and cooked dishes or to enjoy in herbal bouquets. Most are rabbit resistant and rarely need fertilizer.
One of the easiest herbs to grow is basil. You still have time to buy a plant and enjoy it this year. There are many types of basil from which to choose. All are annuals, which means you will need to either pot them up and bring them in when summer ends or buy new plants in the spring.
I like to use basil when making Margherita pizza, but it is also useful in salads, essential in pesto and a fresh addition to cocktails.
A cookbook I recommend is “Grilled Pizzas and Piadinas” by local chef, Craig Priebe. Craig’s mother is Rozanne Priebe, a local artist you may know. Once when I was in Arizona with my older son, Christian, and his family, we had a party that featured made-to-order individual grilled pizzas. In Arizona, basil grows like a shrub and he had been cutting it back to keep it a reasonable size and foolishly discarding the lopped off basil. I convinced him to put the cuttings in zip-lock bags and take to work to share. He became the office culinary hero and shortly thereafter got a promotion and raise. Coincidence? You make that call!
Plant in average soil or a flower pot, in full sun. Basil can be cut in sprigs and will make a pretty bouquet for your kitchen counter. Basil is one of those herbs that should not be refrigerated.
One more thing: Search online for the recipe for Margherita Pizza, a grilled pizza named after Queen Margherita of Italy in 1889 by the owner of a tavern in Naples who created a pizza for the visiting queen and her king. The colors—red (tomatoes), green (basil) and white (mozzarella cheese) —represent the Italian flag. Now you know.
Enjoy!
