Growing Basil in a Tricky Climate…and a Pesto Recipe!

 By the fourth week of August, when nighttime temperatures are dipping down into the 40s, my basil generally looks as worn out as an old shoe. The plants have dropped a lot of leaves, and the ones that remain are a pale lime green and dotted with brown spots. Plus the basil has gone to flower—which means the plant is putting its energy into flowers instead of flavor.

Not this year.

Keep in mind that growing this delicate herb at Berryridge Farm has always been pretty high-maintenance. Around early June, I'll buy basil in 4-inch (Baby bear) pots, when the days are finally warm enough for the plants to survive. I’ll transplant the basil babies into 1/2 gallon (Mama bear) pots, then bring the plants indoors at night, until things warm up overall. Say, early to mid-July.

End-of-season basil in middle-sized pots

By then, the plants are really root-bound. So I transplant the basil again, either in large pots (Papa bear-size) or plant them directly into the south-facing bed next to our foundation. It’s the hottest spot in the yard. 

But despite all this strategic basil relocation, my plants’ heyday of vibrant green and robust growth generally doesn’t last more than 3 or 4 weeks.

This summer, while I was busy with extra family responsibilities and forced to let go of my garden, I didn't have time to do the 2^nd round of transplanting (into the Papa bear pots). Plus we've had a lot of big temperature fluctuations the last couple of months, starting with that awful heat dome. But I had always assumed basil needed as much heat and sun as you could give it.

With all that direct sun, I also had to water the pots nearly every day.

For our hot days this summer, I didn’t want to worry about watering and getting my basil pots in the shade at a moment’s notice. So I kept the basil in the Mama bear pots and parked them under our grape arbor, a spot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. The grapevines give the basil nighttime protection from the cold, and the gravel path right next to the arbor must have ensured the things didn’t get too chilly at the ground level. 

Because surprisingly enough, the basil has thrived!

And apparently, the plants haven't gotten too root-bound. Still, last night, with September around the corner, I knew my basil’s days were numbered. So it was time for Pesto Pasta!

A few years back, I wrote a post about making pesto—without a food processor. (For easy access, here's my method) This time, all I had to do was set aside an hour or so for lots of chopping! The timing was perfect. Besides my basil being great shape, I had harvested my garlic crop just weeks ago, and it had cured up beautifully. The garlic was still mild, with a lovely crispness when you cut into it.

The pesto I’d made before was so garlicky that, while it was delicious, for the next 2 days, all I could taste was garlic. This time, I cut up half of a large clove of garlic and let it sit overnight in a small amount of apple cider vinegar, to mellow overnight.

Just-rinsed basil leaves before chopping

For optimal freshness, just before starting dinner I picked 2 generous handfuls of basil. Once I’d pulled
off the leaves and chopped them up, I ended up with about 1 cup of basil.

To the bowl, I added 1 cup of finely chopped walnuts. Then 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and mixed it vigorously.

I boiled about ½ pound of spaghetti, and after draining, added another 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Then I mixed in the pesto.

I like Dubliner cheese, a somewhat strong cheddar-type, and topped my portion with a small amount. John likes LOTS of cheese, and he topped his with a mix of freshly-grated parmesan and medium Cheddar.

My pesto wasn’t quite a total success. I’d been too conservative with the garlic—I should have used an entire clove, if not 2 cloves. Also, the garlic had only needed mellowing in the vinegar for an hour or so, not a whole day. I could have used a lot more olive oil too, since the pesto pasta wasn’t all that rich. Still, it was yummy.

John, however, raved about his pasta. For a side, he sautéed some zucchini from the garden with onion—then topped that with more cheese too. It just goes to show that cheese improves just about anything!