<![CDATA[Basils]]>Basil does not grow as well in Alaska as do many other herbs, but I still manage to get a number of varieties each year. Why? Basil likes relatively dry, hot conditions, and Interior Alaska just doesn’t supply that, though the Fairbanks area is probably the best in Alaska.
In general the Thai basils are not my favorites—I just don’t care for the licorice taste. But most basils go very well with tomatoes and Italian dishes. Now that the first local tomatoes are showing up at the Farmers’ Market, my usual lunch of cottage cheese and fruit will change to cottage cheese and tomatoes, with basil, chives, dill, and parsley mixed into the cheese. Another use for basil will be when the zucchini is ready to pick. And, of course, basil is widely used in pesto.
Here are some of the basils I’m trying this year, along with a few I photographed at Basically Basil, which has a regular stall at the Farmers’ Market where they sell plants, herbal vinegars, and seasoning mixes.
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Large Italian Basil. This is the most reliable large-leaf basil for me.
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Spicy Globe Basil. This was the only bush basil I could find this year, though I prefer Minette. These little bush basils work best for me as suppliers of fresh basil.
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Red Rubin Basil. About the toughest of the reds, but I find it doesn’t last as well as the greens.
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Ararat Basil. This one’s an experiment to see if the purple and green mottling stans up to my climate better than the purples.
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Purple Ruffles Basil. I keep trying this.
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Lemon Basil.
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Lime Basil
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Mammoth Basil. Don’t know if this one will even survive.
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Sweet Thai Basil. Used in Oriental cooking.
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Siam Queen Thai Basil. Another good Thai basil.
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Thai Magic Basil