The Large-leaved basils are real pesto powerhouses. They can become large, bushy and even a few plants can make jars and jars of pesto. You can’t go wrong with the basic basil 'Genovese.' It has very big, fleshy leaves with great aroma and taste. Mature plant height is around two feet. The classic 'Lettuce Leaf' is similar to 'Genovese', but its leaves are larger, have deeper venation and a little less pungency. It is said to be slower to bolt, but I have not experienced this.

Growing basil from seed is so easy there’s no point ingrowing plants. You also have more variety to choose from when you take the seed route. Start the seeds indoors about six weeks before the last frost date.They should be grown under good solar fluorescent lights and kept warm. Plants should be no further than four inches from the lights when growing indoors. A heat mat will hasten germination and growth.

'Lettuce Leaf' is a prolific large-leaved basil with wonderful flavor.

I don’t usually plant mine outdoors until late May. Don’t forget to harden your plants off before moving them from the grow lights to an outdoor location. I generally place mine in a spot where there’s light wind and bright, indirect light and over the course of a few days move them into more and more sun.

Basils are great for planting around the base of tomato plants. Once the plants are mature and start to set buds, harvest leafy stems furiously. When in flower, the leaves develops a harsher, more acrid taste. Some say they taste sweetest when the flower buds just begin to develop, so this is a good time to harvest and make pesto.

Here's my favorite recipe for classic pesto:

      In a Cuisinart, blend together:

• 4 cups clean, fresh basil leaves
  
• 1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 or 3 fresh garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

I’ll end this blog with a big "note to self." "Freeze more pesto this year!" Early February is way too early to run out.