Subject: How much Basil for 37 Pestos????

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 95 21:20:07 EST

Pesto is strong; a little goes a long way.  I find that two packed cups
of basil leaves makes enough pesto for a one-pound package of dry pasta
(however many servings that is when cooked).

Try combining pesto with sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, roasted red
bell peppers, and kalamata olives (all of which you can get at Trader
Joe's). That's one of my favorite recipies.

Unfortunately, for the next few months I can't make it; my preganant
wife lost her taste for pesto. And we've got a whole shelf full of it
in the freezer... (sigh.)

Start your basil now.

Richard Shiell, ASLA        Bakersfield, CA        [email-masked]

IP>        Hi, I'm not sure if this is the right newsgroup to post in but
IP>since I like you guys (and gals) I think I'll ask you first.
IP>I'm starting basil seeds indoors now and I'm unsure of how much to
IP>plant.  I want to grow enough basil to make about 37 servings (I'm the
IP>Garden Manager for my student housing cooperative) of fresh pesto
IP>which I would like to serve at least a couple of times this year.  All
IP>the recipes I've seen call for about 2 cups of packed basil leaves for 2
IP>servings.  So how many plants ( or square feet) is this?  I love pesto as
IP>everyone else in my house does so it would be great to have fresh basil
IP>for our pesto :)

IP>oh BTW, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area-USDA zone 9; Sunset zone 17
IP>so is this the right time to be starting basil?

IP>thanks all input..
IP>paul
IP>[email-masked]
---
 þ SLMR 2.1a þ Old gardeners don't die, they just go to seed.

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From: June Meyer <[email-masked]>
Date: 1 Mar 1995 18:25:27 GMT

>IP>everyone else in my house does so it would be great to have fresh
basil

Why not plant as much basil as you have sunny room for. You can use fresh
basil in tomato sauce for speggetti, in stirfry with garlic and chicken,
over chopped tomato salads etc. Would'nt it be nice to have some for the
freezer and to give some away. The more you pick, the more it produces.
It smells great in the garden . You can never have too much.