Eto na ang gardening portion ng “Jenni Epperson Lifestyle,” hahaha!
Our new house has a lot of space to grow plants. We have a tree lawn, front yard and backyard. Tom and I are excited to do some gardening. Even when we were living in our previous condo, we grew herbs in potted plants. There’s always space to grow your own plants.
When it comes to planting or growing potted plants, our mantra is: Grow what you need.
Using fresh basil leaves can transform ordinary meals into culinary treasures!
Fresh basil leaves are a staple in our kitchen. We use it for making pasta sauce, pizza and for garnishing.
I made my Basil, Cheese & Onion Frittata for last Sunday’s brunch. The basil leaves were from our garden. Fresh basil not only tastes better than dried, it actually tastes different, almost as if it were not the same herb.
Basil plants are easy to grow. Whether you plant them in the garden or grow them in pots all they need is the morning sun.
Tips:
• When watering, avoid getting the leaves wet as the leaves can spot. Of course if it rains, you have no control over it. Just prune the leaves.
• To plant the basil in the garden, dig holes spaced at least 6 inches apart. Place the roots in the holes and place soil around the stems. Pat down soil around the plants to eliminate air pockets.
• If you want to plant the basil in a container, make sure it’s large enough to accommodate the number of plants you’re growing; they need to be planted 6 inches apart, since they grow quite large.
We haven’t done that much in our garden. We only started planting basil, calamansi and chili and they are doing quite well. Having our own compost (this is key when growing an organic garden) helps our plants grow healthy. My husband and I will soon go on a trip to buy plants. Tune in!
Basil, Cheese & Onion Frittata recipe:
Ingredients: 10-12 fresh eggs; 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese; 2 tbsp olive oil; 8-10 fresh basil leaves, julienne and a sprig for garnishing; 1 onion, chopped; a pinch of cayenne pepper; salt and white pepper to taste; spring onions, chopped
Easy peasy:
PRE-HEAT oven to 250 degrees; BEAT eggs, in a bowl until blended. ADD all the remaining ingredients, mix well. OIL the pan/dish. POUR IN egg mixture in a baking pan or iron skillet or ovenproof dish; BAKE for 35 to 35 minutes or until egg mixture is set and top golden. LET STAND for 5 min. or until eggs are completely set and no visible liquid egg remains. GARNISH with spring onions and fresh basil leaves. SERVE with a smile! 🙂