Basil
(Ocimum basilicum)

Centuries ago, when a woman put a basil plant on her windowsill, she was announcing that she was ready to receive her suitor. It also was believed that when a man gave a woman a sprig of basil, she would fall in love with him and never leave him. 

Culinary uses
Basil is rich, spicy, and mildly peppery - vaguely reminiscent of mint and clove.  Traditional in Italian, Mediterranean, and Thai cooking, the complex flavors of basil blend well with garlic, thyme, and lemon and complement veal, lamb, fish, poultry, white beans, pasta, rice, tomatoes, cheese, or eggs. Basil also is compatible with most vegetables. Use fresh leaves for best flavor; to preserve, store leaves in oil or vinegar or freeze in a pestolike mixture.

Medicinal uses
Basil is a member of the mint family; like mint, it is said to have a slight sedative effect. To make a tonic, steep a few leaves in wine for several hours. To aid digestion, steep leaves in almost-boiling water about five minutes.

Other uses
In summer, the leaf stalks of basil are topped with spikes of creamy white flowers. The flowers are pretty in simple bouquets. They're also aromatic - try dropping a few into your bath.

Cultivation
Basil will grow easily from seed. Plant seeds 1Ú8 inch deep in a mixture of fine-grade vermiculite and perlite. They'll germinate in soil temperatures from 75¡ to 85¡F. About seven days after germination, transplant seedlings to 2-inch pots or into flats. Plant outside in rich, well-drained soil once the danger of frost is past. 

Basil is an annual and should be pinched back as it grows to increase yield. Plants will grow to about 2 feet tall. Cut sprigs when the flower buds form and before the flowers have opened. Harvest until the first frost.