This year I grew about fourteen types of basil, some for
err personal use and some to sell for charity along with other plants, the basil sold really well and amongst the varieties that I think I'll grow every year are lime, lemon, Thai, cinnamon, giant, dwarf Greek, Corsican, liquorice & Tulsi. All especially Thai and lemon are streets ahead of any basil you'll ever buy from a supermarket, whilst the bollus (giant) with leaves the size of your hand tastes like normal basil (Genovase) but it's size makes it really special for putting in a sauce (easy to fish out) but also special to put something inside it. You see if you don't grow it yerself you'll never taste it...
So in order to keep your basil going always pinch the stem off above two leaves and that way the plant will bush out, so when it's pesto time, I've a mix of basil types. Exciting.
There's a real joy to growing wowser basil, and making home made pesto, it's the smell of the plant's leaves, they are so intoxicating as you ground them against rock salt with a pestle, keep adding more and then add garlic cloves, a little virgin olive oil, keep bruising away - this is how it should be made - not with a blender. Add pine nuts and more virgin olive oil, keep going and going, add really finely grated Parmesan and mix until it is perfect.
When done cover the pesto with a piece of clingfilm to prevent it changing colour.
To serve with spaghetti place some pesto on the plate, as pic, then add the spaghetti and then toss and serve. Bliss.
