Back to Basil(s)
Cliche! “Food that is grown with the sweat of thy brow tastes ever so good.” Cliche! Or so I thought! Gardening has always been a distant dream for this city girl, growing up. With restaurants, super markets, bakeries and the then most essential beauty salons, being at a stone’s throw distance, growing food was something I envisioned would be a wonderful thing to do, but never even ventured to take a shot at it!
Fast forward to the present. Here I am at half past ten at night, trying to scrape up all the wit and grit, in order to articulate this sense of gratitude for the blessing of an yard and a garden! Albeit, a small one.
Basil plant is no stranger to anyone hailing from India. Especially, holy basil. It adorns many a yards and homes and is considered auspicious. Basil leaves, which are believed to come very close to elixir are consumed by many health enthusiasts. Yours truly, being one of them.
The Basil I was introduced to here in the US has, in my mind, everything to do with Pizza and Marinara Sauce. After an unsuccessful attempt at growing a plant a couple years ago, I have resolved to try with renewed zeal this time and planted not one but two of them. And oh! I am so thankful for the bounty, again!
Tomato plants too have had an uneventful last year, but came back with ever so vengeance and vigor this year. Again, thankful!
A bounty of tomatoes and basil could only mean and scream soup in our house, especially, when there is a fresh loaf of bread and a guilt-less wild attitude about butter.
Half of the batch of red, juicy deliciously sweet tomatoes were roasted so as to intensify their flavor. They, along with the rest of their un-roasted counterparts were thrown into the instant pot, along with some garlic and red peppers for some kick. A forlorn wedge of brie sent a sudden outshout, for which, “Oh! What’s to lose! Join the party!” was my response.
Basil chiffonade(so glad, I am sounding fancy or pretentious or whatever!) was introduced into the soup just before serving, so as prevent their delicate selves from scorching.
Warm bread with a generous slather of butter accompanied the soup, just because, it’s bread and butter and soup! No further questions, please!
“Food that is grown with the sweat of thy brow tastes ever so good.”