Fresh basil shredded, garlic minced, and chopped tomatoes with salt, pepper and premium olive oil, on some crostini make a very nice lunch or snack, or appetizer. They call it Bruschetta.

I use it instead of lettuce on sandwiches. Nice flavor kick!!

See all the threads at the link below. They will answer virtually every question regarding basil

Here is a link that might be useful: Basil threads

This question has been asked many times before on this forum. Why not do a Search?

I've never found that allowing a basil plant to flower has affected the flavour in any way. However, by regular pruning, you will encourage the plant to produce more leaves, and to become more bushy, and less woody and spindly. You can pinch out the flowers if you want, but for myself - it's out with the hedge-trimmers! Or else I'd spend my entire life-time pinching out flowers! Mine flower from a tiny seedling, and never stop! Basil can become quite a large plant, you know!

As for using it. As the poet said 'let me count the ways'....

Basil goes well in/with: Italian, Mediterranean and Thai cuisines, especially pasta, meats, beans, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and onions, poultry, soups, eggs. Use with mackerel or shellfish, add chopped leaves of several varieties to salads. Good in soups and fish cocktails with crab and prawns. Goes well with veal, lamb, duck, and game.

I suggest you freeze basil, rather than drying it. It will hold its flavour better. You can freeze whole leaves, or chop them and freeze them in flat 'pancakes' - easy to break off what you need, rather than having to get out hammer and chisel to a lump!

A good way of using up basil is to make Pesto. Pesto can be used in a heap of ways.

http://www.google.com.au/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=ways+to+use+pesto&meta=&btnG=Google+Search

Here is a link that might be useful: basil recipes

Thank you all. I have never gronw basil before, and have only used dried basil leaves in cooking. Pesto sounds wonderful, as does Deserts recipe for Bruschetta. I will do a "Search" for basil on this site, been at GW for long and so now just learning to feel my way around.

I appreciate your assistance.

Helen

Right now that tomatoe and cukes are plentiful in my gargen,
I diece tomatoes, cukes, little bit onion (from this years harvest) some sweet peppers , chop some basil(or just whole leaves if small), add some salt,pepper, lemon juice.
Eat it with spoon, very juocy and refreshing salad.
I also put some in my picklings along with dills, mint, shiso, coriander, etc. I have 4 different varietis. I like them all.
Add basil to cooking at the final 10-15 minuts. With fish and poultry stick in couple of sprigs when you put them in the oven, along with rosemary, lemon grass, shiso, or just about any aromatic herb that you like.Once you discover the flavor of herbs, you will never cook without them. To me any food witout some herbs is just too bland.

As mentioned, pesto uses a lot of basil - and ask your friends if they would like some basil, also and give some away. My friends went nuts for it so they could make pesto. I grew far too many basil plants this year, my deck looks like a basil farm, but it's my favorite herb :-)

Also, if you haven't already, check out this link for lots of ideas here on GW http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/herbs/msg0609242228731.html?24

My Basil Pics 2010

Then (seedling)

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Now (few weeks later)

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Yes, I would continue to pinch back the flowers. I have noticed a difference in taste when my basils in the past have gone to seed. The flavor for me becomes much less robust. I concur with making tons of pesto (pesto is so good, and you can sub white pistachios for pine nuts if you can't find them or they are way too expensive), and I do concur that the flavor hold much better freezing. If you are doing tomatoes as well, try a caprese salad. Basically you layer slices on tomato and fresh mozarella cheese on a plate, garnish with shredded basil, and garnish with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Pinching back the flower heads will encourage your basil to bush out. I certainly make use of those trimmings -- one of our favorites is a Caprese salad: Fresh garden tomatoes sliced about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick, slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, basil leaves or slivers, fresh ground sea salt and black pepper, and a drizzle of the best olive oil you can get your hands on. DELICIOUS!

We also always let some of our basil plants flower because the bees seem to adore the stuff, to the point where we call them our "busy basil bees." Anything that makes bees happy I'm willing to do.