One of my favorite things to cook with during the summer months is basil. It tastes great in summer salads and the Mister is a big fan of caprese salad. I usually just buy those little packets of fresh basil leaves that come in those little plastic containers. (See below).

But I came across some “living basil” while I was in the store this week and I couldn’t help but notice a big difference between the leaves on the living basil and those sitting in the plastic container in my cart. They looked lifeless and dehydrated in comparison. “But do I need an entire plant?” I thought.

For those of you novice cooks out there (like me) buying an ingredient with a root bulb and attached dirt can be a little intimidating. After all, you’re just trying to make a homemade meal here, not start an indoor herb garden. I looked on the side of the bag to see if there were any further instructions. It said transfer the basil to a vase with fresh water. “Oh, just like flowers. I can do that.”

When I got home, I did just that and couldn’t believe what a great aroma the basil brought to the entire kitchen. It also looked just as good as fresh flowers and I began wondering why we’re not adding basil to all our flower arrangements.

Turns out, a few others are way ahead of me. Just look at this beautiful flower/herb arrangement I spotted on Apartment Therapy’s TheKitchn.

It has dill and lovage in it, as well as some flowering radish stems. Pretty!  The author (who knows a lot more about herbs than I) also recommends adding any one of these fresh herbs to a table arrangement: flat parsley, curly parsley, cilantro, chives and chive blossoms.

What a great way to enjoy fresh produce and make your table pretty! Would also make for a good gift.

Until next time,

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P.S. Two basil heavy recipes I’m dying to try: Basil Lemonade and  Tomato Basil Crositinis. Do you have any great basil or other herb recipes to share?