Basil “is” immediately smell of cooking, reminds us of Mediterranean food,speaks Italian and is usually tied hand in glove to pizza … Its name derives from the greek basileus which means “king grass”.
But in fact basil also has a herbal valence : in particular, using fresh, is transformed into a very effective natural remedy for many aliments, especially digestive. The best use is to crush in a mortar to break up the cells that contain the essential oil and to release the flavour better.
This is way pesto is the perfect recipe for basil: Pesto Sauce Crostini
CROSTINI AL PESTO
- 3 cloves of Garlic
- a handful of pine-nuts
- Salt,a pinch
- 36 leaves of fresh basil
- 1 spoonful of pecorino
- 1 spoonful Parmigiano
- Extra Virgin Olive oil 100 gr
- French beans (string beans) Bread
- Boil the French beans very soft and then mince them finely.
- Place the basil into the mortar, add the pine-nuts (which have been first toasted in the oven), a clove of garlic and a pinch of salt.
Begin to beat these ingredients with the pestle, crushing them against the sides of the mortar, gradually adding the two types of cheese. Pound until the mixture has a nice green colour.
- Then pour it into a bowl, mix with the minced French beans and, mixing continuously, gradually add half a glass of oil.
- Continue mixing until you obtain a paste.
- Serve on bread slices
Suggestion : add dried tomatoes and/or boiled potatoes
Toscana Mia Blog 