Basil is often thought of as the base of pesto, but that’s just one of its characters. Eat the whole leaves in fresh mozzarella and tomatoes salad, with a light drizzle of balsamic and olive oil (Driftless Sunflower Oil is excellent in lieu of olive oil). But also tear the leaves and add to a fresh summer salad, or a stir fry. If you want to chop basil up to add to a soup or garnish over grilled summer squash, it’s best to stack the leaves, roll them up, and use a very sharp and thin knife to slice them. Basil bruises easily, and if you don’t keep the leaves whole, or if you heat them up, they tend to oxidize to a turn very dark color, just like potatoes and apples do, and there’s no need to fret. Even add fresh basil to an icy beverage, or a hot tea (hot basil tea is great for fighting those nasty summer colds). It’s an extremely versatile herb!