Try Basil: A New Basil Mix

Basil isn’t a tricky thing to grow. Not if you remember that it doesn’t like cool temperatures.

It seems this is a lesson I learn and relearn each May, when I put several basil plants in my garden on a sunny day and then subsequently experience chilly nights. Yellowing leaves ensue, growth is stunted a bit, and it takes about two weeks for the plants to grow out of it and finally start enjoying the weather.

I typically grow just one type of basil each year, and that is the Common Genovese basil. I am open to new varieties, though. Earlier this spring I came across a new basil called Try Basil from Burpee Home Gardens. It’s not available yet, I don’t believe, but it will definitely be on the market for Spring 2014.

Try Basil: 3 basils in one

Try Basil is not a completely new basil, but a mix of three different kinds of basil meant to be grown in one container. Three different kinds called Try Basil. Get it? Three? Tri? Anyway, the three kinds are the Genovese type, a red Thai type, and a variety with serrated leaves.

Try Basil would be ideal for folks who have a window, patio, or kitchen garden and have limited space for growing. The single container saves space while also giving gardeners access to different flavors. I’ve never tried growing nor cooking with a red-leafed basil and would jump at the chance to do so. I have grown and used a serrated-leafed basil and feel it’s best to use finely chopped in fresh applications.

My favorite basil application is pesto. Here’s my go-to recipe courtesy of The Moosewood Cookbook:

Basil Pesto

3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup pine nuts
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
½ cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place all ingredients except the oil in a food processor or blender. Mix until uniformly chopped, then slowly add oil in a thin stream to form a paste.