By Cheni Filios, Vegetable Product Manager, PanAmerican Seed
Photographs courtesy of PanAmerican Seed
Whenever our HandPicked Vegetables team wants to fully engage with our customers – with all the benefits and flavors of our basil assortment – we entice them with this easy recipe. The flavor of this oil is perfect for seasoning your favorite recipes, including salads, and it makes a great appetizer alongside bread cubes, cheese trays or charcuterie plates.
We’ve even had wonderful success during events and parties highlighting the flavor of basil using this recipe plus other types of fresh-grown basil varieties. Customers love a taste-test! Enjoy.
Everleaf™ Emerald Towers Basil Oil
Ingredients: • 4 cups Everleaf Emerald Towers Basil (packed into a dry-measure cup) • 1 cup canola oil* • 1/2 tsp salt
*Canola oil is suggested, as it provides little to no flavor, allowing you to taste the aroma and flavor of the basil. Olive oil is not recommended for basil oil tastings as it has a strong flavor and will overpower the vegetal and floral aromas of the basil.
Instructions:
Wash and dry your freshly harvested basil, letting leaves rest on paper towels to absorb moisture.
Add the 4 cups of basil to a blender or food processor. Sprinkle salt over top of the basil.
Turn on the blender and slowly trickle oil over the basil. You might need to stop and push the basil down every few seconds with a spatula.
After all the oil is added, continue to run the blender until the basil is very finely chopped. Avoid running the blender too long since the oil may start to congeal.
The basil oil is now ready to serve. If you prefer an oil with no pieces of leaves, you can use a fine mesh strainer to separate the oil and basil leaves. Use a spatula to sift the oil through the strainer.
For storage: Pour the basil oil into a food-safe bottle or jar for serving. Basil oil can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. To use: Shake and/or stir prior to serving as the basil and oil will separate over time.
Your taste-test can include serving multiple types of basil prepared into the oil recipe above and served over bread pieces or neutral crackers. Have your guests choose their favorite, and experience all the rich, earthy notes that fresh-grown basil has to offer.
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By Dan Heims, President, Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
Photographs courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc.
Terra Nova’s breeders have created a series of outstanding world-class echinaceas that are consistent in size, bloom power, color intensity and are a pollinator buffet. What’s not to like.
To learn more, click here for an interesting article.
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