Ode to Basil

How do you cut your basil? For me, I like to pick off a dozen of leaves and arrange them from smallest to largest. Folding each in half, I tuck one into another, and then another, always increasing in size so that they’re fitted together to resemble something like an artichoke or one those Russian wooden dolls. Then, with a few deft motions, I slice into them so they fall apart into thin green strips. And there’s something about this precision and the sound of crisp leaves being cut against a wooden board that brings me much satisfaction in the kitchen.

It’s one of my simple pleasures in life and it only costs me $1.50. Each Saturday, I’ve made it a habit to buy a bundle of fresh sweet basil at our Bellingham Farmer’s Market. The fistful of leaves is enough to last me a week of adding basil to scrambled eggs, a red sauce, or maybe a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping Italian bread. Just when I’m about pick off the last and smallest leaf on the stalk, it’s Saturday again, and time to head down to the market.

The joy of cooking with fresh herbs is something I discovered for myself while in college. Previously, I relied on dried flakes while cooking and I now realize they pale in taste, texture and overall aesthetics. I now derive the same amount of pleasure in cooking with dried herbs as I would cooking with paper confetti.

My growing love affair with fresh basil coincided with my own personal summer of love. The house of my then-boyfriend had bushes of basil growing along its side and I spent many hot summer evenings preparing meals for the two of us. Scent and memory are closely tied together and that first sweet smell of freshly chopped basil still brings back those memories of romance.

Basil has a warmth to it and its taste conjures up images of leaves basking in the summer afternoon sun. Since I can no longer deny the superiority and delight of fresh basil, I must deny its usage in its off-season. But that limited seasonality is what makes it so special; for the more I frequent our farmers market and purchase higher quality produce, the more I’m learning that eating seasonally is well worth my wait.