Grow your own food, week 12 - basil and pesto

Dominic Murphy

27 May 2011

I've grown a pot or two of basil every summer for years.

But then along came my pesto-loving daughter, so now we raise industrial quantities. If you want to know how to get a child interested in gardening, grow things they're likely to eat.

You can sow basil seeds now on a window ledge - and for best results continue growing it indoors.

Basil will grow outdoors, too, in a warm, sunny spot. But seeing that warm, sunny spots are unreliable in my garden, my pesto crop is staying inside.

Basil seedlings prefer not to be moved from seed tray to pot. So start them off in a container big enough for them to spend their entire life.

Aim for three plants per pot of 8 cm diameter. The bigger the pot, the more plants you can get in.

Sow more seeds than you'll need, and thin out when they germinate. On a sunny window ledge, greenhouse or polytunnel your plants should thrive if not overcrowded.

There are different varieties of basil - some tangy, others striped and yet another purple. But for a classic green pesto, Genovese is probably the best.

And this is really easy to make with a mortar and pestle or blender. Grind together 2 handfuls of basil leaves, 10 g of pine kernels and, if you like a slight kick, 1-2 cloves of garlic.

Now work in 50 ml of olive oil and 50 g of Parmesan - or a mix of Parmesan and Pecorino. Now add a good pinch of salt and your pesto is ready.

It'll taste delicious but not like the jars in the supermarket. The secret of this? Add more salt. Loads of it.

Dominic Murphy, Publishing & New Media Team

Dominic Murphy's book, The Playground Potting Shed, includes an easy guide to growing food throughout the year.