Basil

fineexampl said:
Thai is used in alot of...thai. It has the classic basil smell blended with a peppery note and a heavy dose of an anisette tone overall. Almond shaped leaves with purple highlights all over. It goes very well with hot chiles.
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Bingo! Anise..that's the flavor I couldn't recall. Stuff gets ya kinda stoned too..lol
 
I like thai basil because it compliments the flavour of chili's quite well. The little red thai chili, some garlic, splash of soy, onions, thai basil and then just about any combo of veggies - eggplant, zucchini, kohlrabi, napa cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, peas, green onions, celery are the ones I've tried (not all at once). Such a simple dish and so tasty. The trick is to use very, very high heat and toss the thai basil in the dish at the end.

You can kick the dish up a notch by adding some fish sauce and a little fruit juice - pineapple or orange work great. Gives it that sweet and salty note....

Makes a great side to some grilled meat.
 
I'm growing thai basil and lemon basil and love them both.
Isn't there something about eating too much raw basil can become poisonous?
 
I almost hate reading these boards! Every time I do I realize I have to readjust what I plan on planting next year. At least next year I will have about 420 more sq. ft. I can use.

Mike
 
QuadShotz said:
Bingo! Anise..that's the flavor I couldn't recall. Stuff gets ya kinda stoned too..lol
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:D I've NEVER ever EVER been stoned. :oops::rolleyes:

lostmind said:
I like thai basil because it compliments the flavour of chili's quite well. The little red thai chili, some garlic, splash of soy, onions, thai basil and then just about any combo of veggies - eggplant, zucchini, kohlrabi, napa cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, peas, green onions, celery are the ones I've tried (not all at once). Such a simple dish and so tasty. The trick is to use very, very high heat and toss the thai basil in the dish at the end.

You can kick the dish up a notch by adding some fish sauce and a little fruit juice - pineapple or orange work great. Gives it that sweet and salty note....

Makes a great side to some grilled meat.
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This is PERFECT advice.

POTAWIE said:
I'm growing thai basil and lemon basil and love them both.
Isn't there something about eating too much raw basil can become poisonous?
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I've never heard about basil being harmful in any way. :?:

wordwiz said:
I almost hate reading these boards! Every time I do I realize I have to readjust what I plan on planting next year. At least next year I will have about 420 more sq. ft. I can use.

Mike
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LOL no offense dude, but...LMAO!
 
I just picked up a pineapple sage plant from the nursery the other day.

I grew it last year, and WOW, it is so good. It is called a sage plant but the only thing that has you thinking sage is the flavor.. Lots of pineapple with sage flavor coming in second and not as strong.

It grows more like a srub (I had it in the ground and it got to over 1 meter tall & 1.2 meters round) and the leaves are not course like true sage but more thin and slighty hairy.

It is perfect if you want to sweet'n up a dish and still get that sage character come through...
 
That sage plant sounds like it would make a lovely stuffing combination with onion and a bit of thyme :)
 
fineexampl said:
I've never heard about basil being harmful in any way. :?:
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Apparently only in large doses http://www.e2121.com/food_db/viewherb.php3?viewid=125&setlang=

Toxic or Side Effects:
There is little available literature on the toxicity of basil. However, Ocimum basilicum, the species that appears to be used the most medicinally and the one for which the most analysis has been done, contains several potentially dangerous compounds. Some of these compounds are: safrole, rutin, caffeic acid, tryptophan, and quercetin.

Acute bovine pulmonary emphysema (ABPE), a respiratory disease in cattle, is caused by absorbed metabolites of tryptophan. Usually, ABPE occurs in cattle over 2-3yrs of age that are suddenly moved onto lush pasture. Tryptophan is toxic at a dose of 0.25-0.35 g/kg body weight. Whether or not a dose of basil could cause ABPE is not known.

P-coumaric acid and caffeic acid can inhibit digestion of plant cell walls in ruminants, because of their antimicrobial activity. When these acids are metabolized by rumen microbes, benzoic acid, 3-phenyl-propionic acid (PPA), and cinnamic acid may be formed. When these compounds are detoxified, hippuric acid is formed. PPA can decrease metabolic efficiency. Detoxifying the compounds costs the animal nitrogen, which also can decrease productivity.

Quercetin (a flavanoid) may be a cocarcinogen in bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum). It has been suggested that it may interact with Bovine papilloma virus type 4, leading to malignant epithelial papillomas in the upper alimentary tract. Adverse effects from quercetin in Ocimum spp., when used to treat animals, is not known.

Safrole, which was used to flavor sodas, was banned as a food additive in the U.S. It has been shown to cause cancer in rats. Oil of Ocimum also contains d-limonene, which has anticarcinogenic properties.
 
POTAWIE said:
Tryptophan is toxic at a dose of 0.25-0.35 g/kg body weight.
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so that means you shouldn't feed your cows turkeys huh... :lol:
 
I think next year I will be reducing the number of tomato plants I grow and increasing the amount of herbs I grow.

Herbs are pricey, veg is cheap. Herbs grow easy, veg (esp tomatoes) are tougher and have more pests. A good, fresh handful of herbs can make just about any dish great so...

pineapple sage has been added to my list :)
 
lostmind said:
pineapple sage has been added to my list :)
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You won't regret it mate. It is a great plant.

I forget to mention another great thing about the pineapple sage: The flowers.

It have little red bell type flowers that grow all over and they are so sweet. I put them in salads and sweet & sour dishes.

I make a salad that has all the normal things in it, then i have Pineapple sage flowers, lemon/greek & normal thyme flowers, White & blue rosemary flowers & the darker flowerly leaves from the thai basil.

It always goes down a treat.....
 
I'm finding out once again how fast basil grows. I trimmed the HELL out of my thai and sweet basil to bare stumps. It's growing back like CRAZY. I'll have a harvest in a couple weeks i'd wager.
 
moyboy said:
You won't regret it mate. It is a great plant.

I forget to mention another great thing about the pineapple sage: The flowers.

It have little red bell type flowers that grow all over and they are so sweet. I put them in salads and sweet & sour dishes.

I make a salad that has all the normal things in it, then i have Pineapple sage flowers, lemon/greek & normal thyme flowers, White & blue rosemary flowers & the darker flowerly leaves from the thai basil.

It always goes down a treat.....
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I also grow the Pineapple Sage and I think it's marvellous ! The smell is excellent, the taste is fabulous, and the flowers so beautiful! I grow other sages also, as Purple, Icterine, officinalis, etc
I grow some basils too : Hairy Thai, Sweet Thai, Holy Basil, Genovese, Giant Napolitano, Lettuce Leaves, Green Globe, Lemon, Purple Ruffles and Red Robin.
I love all of them and always eat them fresh :). And I collect them too !
BTW if anyone could spare some Cinnamon Basil or Lime Basil seeds, I would appreciate it very much! ;)
Sage, rosemary, thyme (4 different kinds), Mint (2 or 3 kinds - The pineapple mint has a divine smell), oreganos, marjoram, coriander (2 kinds, and love it !) ... Lots of aromatics. They're my second passion after the hotties ;)
I always try to eat them fresh because I think the taste is so much better !
 
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