Of Snow Flakes and Potted Basil

Sometimes, October in Colorado is too good to be true.

Like any good snow storm, it started with a whisper in the hallways of school. “Snow…tonight. All tomorrow. And the next day! It’s so cold out…” It began as rain–then the temperature got progressively lower, and meteorologists across the state began excitedly brandishing at color-coded maps scarred with sweeping blue cold fronts and little snow-cloud symbols.

Then, it began.

Autumn snow is different. In the fall, the flakes fall heavily from the sky, shearing through the bitter air in wet curtains of clumpy flakes. It spits against windshields and drops from the traffic signals in oozing, frozen clumps. It caps jack-o-lanterns in fluffy white top hats and covers the lingering green tips of grassy lawns. Autumn storms march in on the tails of crisp, glowing days, presenting themselves in the form of an ominous dark cloud on the horizon. In the Winter, though, when the air has hardened and the trees are naked and the sky is clear and bright, the snow is light and silent–it blankets the world shyly, moving in on the earth as if on tip-toe.

Today’s snow is a child of October, through and through; it is sloppy and excited and beautiful in its announcement of the cold season. It has the status page of Facebook abuzz with enthusiastic wishes for a snow day; the school district website has posted its preliminary warning on procedure for potential school closures.

I got a package in the mail from my sister this week–she sent me a book called “The Potted Herb”, among other things. When I first opened the box, my reaction was, “What the heck?!” Then I started flipping through it. The writing is charming, the pictures are so cute, and the premise is absolutely adorable–herbs, herbs, herbs! In pots! And topiaries! I couldn’t help but laugh. It’s such a frivolous gift, but it is such a delightful book.

The best part, though, came when I flipped to the back and discovered a section of recipes! It includes adorable, unique suggestions for all kinds of foods, (augmented by herbs of course), that seem delicious and decently easy to make.

This inspired me to take a trip to the kitchen window, where we grow potted basil year-round. It’s so easy to grow, and it makes it so convenient to add that extra kick to dishes like tomato sauce or sandwiches in the form of a fresh-plucked leaf or two.

Herbs are fantastic; you can use them to literally “spice” anything, they’re easy, and they’re a lot of fun to experiment with. Basil in particular is very versatile, and most people like the taste of it.

How to Grow Potted Basil

(Taken from The Potted Herb by Abbie Zabar)

Basil is an annual herb that is related to mint. It has a pungent, clovelike aroma, and its botanical name is derived from the Greek verb meaning “to be fragrant.” Whether we are growing sweet basil (O. basilicum), bush basil (O.b. mimimum), lettuce-leaf (O.b. crispum), or dark opal basil (O.b. purpurascens), all of our basils have similar cultural requirements. Set the seed in early spring, barely covering it with your soil mixture, and germination should occur in less than a week. Basil is highly sensitive to cold, so put the pots outside only when the danger of frost has absolutely passed. …Take your first cutting across the main stem, leaving at least one node with two young shoots intact. The remaining growth will branch out and be ready for trimming in another two to three weeks, while starting to form a bushy little plant.

The basil we grow in our kitchen is of the sweet basil variety, which is among the most commonly-used forms of the plant. While the book instructs you to plant in early spring, as long as you’re growing indoors, you can get started at any time of the year! All it takes is a pot of some sort, some soil, and a packet of seeds. Within a week you’ll be nursing baby basil seedlings, and soon enough you’ll be on your way to fresh herb cooking!

When people think “basil,” all the classic Italian recipes come to mind: Caprese salad, tomato sauce, spaghetti and meatballs–the list goes on. Try this slightly-less conventional idea for a sandwich. It’s the perfect dinner on a cold day, and it takes surprisingly little time and effort to make.

Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Sandwich with Balsamic Reduction & Basil

Makes about 2 large sandwiches

Ingredients:

- bread: baguette, focaccia, or panini-style

- 1 red pepper

- goat cheese

- balsamic vinegar

- garlic

- olive oil

- fresh basil leaves

Instructions:

1. Prepare the pepper by cutting it into long, thick strips, and brushing it lightly with olive oil. To roast, you can either place it over the open flame of your stove for a couple of minutes, or roast in the oven on a pan. Heat until the pepper is moderately soft and juicy (not crunchy) and sports slightly blackened edges.

2. To make the balsamic reduction, pour balsamic vinegar into a small pot on the stove, and simmer until the vinegar is reduced to about one-half its original volume. Add to the heated vinegar crushed garlic (to taste) and a small amount of olive oil (around 1 tbs).

3. Heat the bread in a warm oven until the outside becomes crisp (just a few minutes)–then coat the soft inside of the sandwich with the balsamic reduction mixture, followed by a layer of goat cheese. Add the roasted red pepper strips and fresh basil leaves.