Man, I love basil

[Tab]

I decided to make the sausage thing again to use up the rest of the basil and oregano. I forgot oregano doesn't last in the fridge (I usually just use it the day I get it) so scratch the oregano. But I made this huge chiffonade of basil, then chopped it after that.

Now that I think about it, for my birthday, or maybe Christmas, I was given a "Chia Herb Garden" of all things. I need to figure out where I tossed it and start it up.

I used to run a herb garden in a half-barrel (like they use for curing whiskey or wine or whatever). Filled it with loam and planted herbs. Unfortunately, most of the really prolific ones I don't use a lot of (e.g.: rosemary). I think I would only really plant basil, basil, basil, more basil, some oregano, and tarragon and thyme. That's about all I really use on a regular basis. Anything else I can buy.

And just for discussion's sake, do you pronounce it BAY-zil (long a) or BAAH-zil (short a)? I tend to alternate, I think both are correct, just alternate pronunciations, but I tend to BAAH-zil.

[hippywife]

1. I pronounce it

with a long a, unless discussing the star of old Sherlock Holmes movies.

It's one of my faves along with cilantro and fennel. I don't like the taste of oregano at all. My Italian gran never used it in her cooking, so I don't either.

[Tab]

2. Or, Basil Fawlty

If you like John Cleese

(although I never liked that particular show)

On edit: Oops - you said a long "a", and that name was a short "a".

Never mind.

[hippywife]

3. You had it right the first time.

Long a for the herb, short a for the name.

Oh, and BTW, a green bean tried to make a run for it. Jumped right into the sink, tho, so was trapped and rounded up. ;)

[Tab]

5. So???

What was its fate?

[hippywife]

7. Thrown in the pot

to meet it's end with the rest of 'em, of course. They all got et. LOL

[Tab]

10. Was the pot complicit in this?

Or were you using it too?

[hippywife]

16. It did abet and assist

by providing its edge as a springboard for the escape attempt.

[cbayer]

4. I received a chia herb garden for Christmas and it was a major flop.

The containers are really really small. The foamy thing that is supposed to be dirt just floats to the top when you water it. In the end, I got nothing.

:cry:

[Tab]

6. Ah, man

That would suck. Of course, I could just do a traditional herb micro-garden.

The trick is to put it where the dogs won't pee on it, that's all.

[blaze]

8. I have half barrel full of rosemary

want some? :)

[Stinky The Clown]

9. BAY-zuhl

I like to bathe in it, eat it, shampoo with it and use it as a foot balm.

I love the smell of it.

[pengillian101]

12. ME TOO!

"I love the smell of it."

I have Burpee's herb garden right next to me at my desk along with a few other herbs - also Aerogarden flowers that have not bloomed YET! The Aerogarden grow light works well for all the other seeds though.

That Basil smell just drives me wild, also!

Northern MN has a short growing season outdoors. Memorial day is the norm to plant outside.

[japple]

15. I love the smell. Last summer, I made a tea out of it and when

it got too hot, I would put some in a plant mister and spray my skin with it. What a refreshment!

[elleng]

11. DITTO!

Had a great neighbor who grew Basil (and other stuff), and shared it generously. Neighbor moved, I moved, and if it would only turn to spring around here, I'd grow some of my own!

BAYzil.

Neighbor was a Brit, and I think he said, BAHzil!

[sazemisery]

13. I plant basil all over the place

We eat so much of it in the summer. And I keep a plant in my greenhouse over the winter. Genovese is the only kind I grow.

[pleah]

14. Love basil. I finally got some to sprout this year.

I also have rosemary, Greek oregano, chives, dill, coriander/cilantro, thyme, French tarragon, spearmint, chocolate mint, lemon verbena(smells like old fashioned lemon drops) and Italian parsley.

[Gormy Cuss]

17. I love BAY-zil too. Just about ready to start the outdoor basil season here.

I'm fortunate to live in a climate where oregano and thyme thrive even during the winter, but the culinary sign of Spring is when the chives come out of dormancy. Having chives for snipping is the greatest luxury of my herb garden. Having chives also means it's time to start the basil plants.

Rosemary's a hedging plant here. I couldn't possibly use enough to justify in a barrel garden but because I have it available at any time I find that I'm using it a lot more.

[Lucinda]

18. BAY-zil

And it's a food group all by itself for me.
We usually grow basil(s), oregano, thyme, cilantro, rosemary, and dill. I want to get freaky and add tarragon to the mix this year.

I'm a wild one, I tell ya....

[mtnester]

19. Short (schwa) A - bah-zil

I grew up on a street with that word in it, it had been passed down for generations as Bah-zil...you can tell a newbie to the area when they pronounce it some other way.

The road has existed since approx 1808 (or earler), so LOTS of generations calling it that....neat that this topic came up and that I was able to contribute in this weird way :)

Hey Tab - does your DOG like Basil? (snort)

[pipoman]

20. Bayzil, love it

I just made an omelet this weekend, the best I've ever eaten. Fresh basil, tomato, blanched asparagus, green onion, goat cheese, mushroom and black olive. Basil pesto on linguine with wood grilled salmon is my favorite meal.

[pengillian101]

23. That sounds great! n/t

[kestrel91316]

21. I gotta get me a basil plant for the balcony. When I was in France,

all the markets and grocers sold fresh basil plants in little pots to keep on your kitchen windowsill and snip as needed - you couldn't buy cut basil at all (it just doesn't keep).

[Tab]

24. When I was at UVM

(University of Vermont, also known at that time as "Groovy U-V") we kept our pot plants in the dorm corridor window.

I dare say you can't do that now.

[NMDemDist2]

22. i still have a sad little basil plant hanging on from the ChiaPet Xmas

and I use it often

and I pronounce it with the long A