Today’s Homemaker

I went out to the garden today and was thrilled to see that my basil plant is still alive and kicking. Maybe it’s the cynic in me that thinks that Murphy’s Law nearly always applies in these types of situations. I clipped, clipped, and clipped, and now all that’s left are a few woody stalks. Basil stalks turn woody at the base, I guess.

Anyway, after reserving a bunch in a glass for future use (I hope our friends Adam and Carol like basil, because they’re getting some major basil exposure on Thursday at dinner), I started to pluck the leaves and put them into a colander. The smell was glorious. When the colander got full, I rinsed them really well and shook the excess water away.

Next, I pressed them between two dish towels to get rid of more water and dumped them onto a flexible cutting board. My attempt with the knife was rather measly. I just knew it would be any minute before I started cutting fingers instead of leaves, so I gave up on that mission and started to tear the basil, which ended up working pretty well. The smell was almost overpowering at that point, right at the thin line between “Mmmmmm” and “woah”.

Last, I put the torn basil into a freezer bag, poured some olive oil in (I would estimate a tablespoon or so for the amount of basil that I had), shook up the bag to coat everything evenly, and then squeezed out the air before zipping it up and freezing it. I did about three colander-sized batches this way. At least, they were colander-sized before I ripped the basil to pieces.

I’m happy with my efforts. A food processor would have made it a heck of a lot easier, but I don’t think the cost is justified for me. It would probably just end up sitting under my microwave with my hoard of plastic grocery bags. Next time, maybe I’ll borrow one from a friend. Now that’s good advice.