Flowers and Spikes From the Basil Plant - Great in Dressings or Dips

Usually we use the leaves of the Basil plant to flavor our favorite sandwiches and salads. But did you know that the spikes of the plant can be put to use? Most basil growers just chuck them off and don’t realize the leave a treasure trove of special tasting seasonings along the wayside. These Basil Spikes are great in salad dressings, dips and so on. Its easy cheap and very original, here are the basics on which you can elaborate: Put the flowers and Spikes in a blender and add some extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar mustard, if you like is garlic and experiment with other dressing making ingredients. Let me stress that the use of extra-virgin olive oil is very important in a dressing. This oil comes from the first cold pressing of the olive and has the finest taste. Virgin also means that there are no chemical modifications made to the oil. The US has no regulations on this topic like the European Union but since the most production and culinary tradition with this ingredient comes from this continent it’s a safe guess to follow their advice. You can also change the olive oil to sour cream and use the Basil Flowers and Spikes to make a dip. Again it’s these parts of the Basil plant give it a very special taste. Experiment have fun and let us know your experiences, so lets grow our herbs in containers or garden and use them as creatively as we can.