Produce of the Week; Opal Purple Basil

This is our first herb that we have highlighted! For those of you that may not know what herbs are they are defined in Merriam-Webster dictionary as, “a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savoury, or aromatic qualities.” We love using herbs daily either fresh or preserved somehow. They are jam packed with flavour and a little can go a long way.

Purple basil coming across as incredibly aromatic, bearing a slight spice & clove like scent. The leaves have a sweet, savoury, and earthy flavour with notes of anise, ginger, cinnamon, clove, and mint. Most basil varieties are best suited for flavouring both fresh and cooked preparations. You can replace this variety with recipes that call for other basil vaierities. Try these purple leaves lightly torn or crushed and tossed into green salads, used whole as an edible garnish on fruit and cheese platters, or roughly chopped and mixed into pasta and stir-fries. Layered leaves into sandwiches, stirred into curries, soups, and stews, dried as a seasoning, blended into sauces such as pesto, or served with seafood to create depth of flavour. Please note that the leaves will go darker when cooked!

Purple basil pairs well with tomatoes, potatoes, corn, zucchini, ginger, fruits such as strawberries, watermelon, and blackberries, nuts such as pine nuts, almonds, and walnuts, cheeses such as parmesan, goat, mozzarella, and feta, rice, pasta, and legumes.

How to preserve basil;

-Freezing; Blanch your basil for 10 seconds, then shock it by adding it into ice water. Once shocked you can dry it and then toss it into your food processor / blender with a touch of extra virgin olive oil. You will want to create a paste, pour into ice trays and freeze for later. Defrost and add into dressing, marinades, salsas and much more. Use within 3 months.

-Drying; Wash, dry and remove the stems. Layer leaves on a baking or dehydrating trays, do not over lap. If you are baking, set your oven to the lowest possible setting and turn your dehydrator to the herbs temp or around 100 F. It should take a couple of hours in the oven and a couple more in the dehydrator. Check every 2 hours and flip if needed. Once dried you can keep the leaves whole or toss them into a food processor / blender and combine until it’s a dust. Let it settle before opening the lid. Add into a seasoning container and use within a year for strongest flavour.

Fun Facts;

-Purple basil's deep purple colour can also be used as a food-grade dye for both edible and non-edible products.

-Basil is a native of India and is considered a sacred plant. It is a symbol of eternal life, faithfulness, and love.

Recipes;

Purple Basil Sherbet Recipe Drink;https://turkishstylecooking.com/purple-basil-sherbet-recipe.html

PURPLE BASIL HEIRLOOM TOMATO BRUSCHETTA; https://sharonpalmer.com/purple-basil-heirloom-tomato-bruschetta-vegan-gluten-free/

Purple Basil and Sunflower Seed Pesto; http://www.veganchef.com/opal.htm