MAKE A CHRISTMAS GIFT FROM YOUR HERB GARDEN

Few things are as rewarding as spoiling your friends with something from your garden. As basil is fairly abundant in summer, here’s how you can make a versatile basil oil in less than half an hour.

YOU NEED

• a glass bottle with a cork stopper (we used an empty gin bottle)

• 2 cups packed with basil leaves

• 1 cup olive oil

• coarse salt

• 1 garlic clove

THIS IS HOW

1 Sterilise the glass bottle and stopper: Wash them in hot soapy water, rinse and dry them. Then immerse them in boiling water and leave them on a clean tea towel in the sun to dry thoroughly. 2 Pinch off the basil leaves at the stems and make sure there are no spiderwebs or bugs on them. Place the leaves in a colander and rinse them thoroughly under running water. 3 Blanch the basil leaves in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove them from the water and pat them dry. 4 Place 1 cup of leaves in a blender or food processor and add the olive oil. Pulse the leaves until fine. Add 2 twists of coarse salt to the mixture and add the garlic clove and the remaining leaves. Pulse the mixture again – decide how fine or coarse you want the purée. 5 Pour the mixture into the bottle through a funnel. Embellish it with a label and a length of cord or twine tied around the neck.

tip

The basil oil is delicious on toast with some fresh tomato and mozzarella. Also drizzle it over poached eggs, a fresh salad, fish or pasta. It will last in the fridge for up to a week, so use it every day.