I have basil running out of my ears. In early spring I planted a few plants in the front garden and they very quickly began to bolt. I left them because of the large amount of pollinators they were attracting. So now they have set seed and the basil is popping up everywhere. So what do you do when life gives you basil? You make pesto!
The final product: one ice tray full for freezing.
Bravo! I love pesto. Also love bruschetta with fresh basil, tomatoes and baby mozarella. I like to let mine bolt as well - the bees love it so! I also enjoy the volunteer basil that I get in the garden.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I had only 2 volunteers this year since my chickens had the run of the place for months and gobbled up my self-seeded basil.
Now that the girls are kept out, I hope to have a bumper crop again!
I had more volunteer basil this year than ones I planted. Nothing like homemade pesto for sure!
ReplyDeleteYour basil plant looks very healthy! I severely pruned my basil plants when they started bolting this spring, and they have gotten much bushier. With my limited garden space, I just can't afford to have volunteer basil sprouting everywhere! :-) But I hear you about the flowers attracting pollinators. Homemade pesto is great! I make some every time I prune and harvest the basil plants.
ReplyDeleteWere your cosmos volunteers? I have all manner of issues with reseeded cosmos that never seem to bloom. That, or I have some sort of shape-shifting weed that miraculously takes on the form of whatever nice plant it is next to and outgrowing, ensuring that I will leave it alone for far too long and will need my limb loppers to remove it from the garden once I finally get it that I have been duped.
ReplyDeleteCarol, No I love my volunteer cosmos - same ones I have year after year, but these came from one of those shaker cans of wild flowers. I am walking outside right now to chop them down because I don't want volunteer 7 foot tall cosmos next year if they ever do bloom.
ReplyDeleteThis has been a really good basil year for us too. I usually don't weigh in my harvest in pounds. For us it is just the massive heat we have had.
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