Basil
Basil is at peak abundance in August — warm nights and hot days produce the most fragrant leaves of the year. If you kept a potted plant from July, it's probably thriving. This is the month to use it generously.
How to choose it
- Bright, vivid green — yellow or black-edged leaves are past their best
- Fragrant when you brush the leaves
- Stems still firm and upright
- Avoid bunches stored in cold refrigerator display — cold turns basil black
Buy this much: 1 large bunch, or one potted plant (which lasts longer and regrows if you harvest the tops).
Basil is widely available and inexpensive in August. A potted plant from a grocery store costs about the same as a bunch and will yield multiple harvests.
During the week
- Torn over pasta after the heat
- In the North Park Cooler
- Over a rice bowl
- On fig toast
On a weekend
Torn over the pork chops and nectarines.
One thing worth learning
Basil blackens from the cold, not from age. Refrigerator storage turns it black overnight. Keep it on the counter in water, and it will outlast basil stored in the fridge by several days. The fragrance concentrates if you let it sit somewhere warm.