Green Herb of the day: Basil

There are a few varieties of basil. Sweet basil is a flavour most commonly associated with Italian dishes. It has spicy overtones of aniseed. Basil complements tomatoes, green vegetables, soups, salads, fish, eggs, cheese, lamb, pizza and pasta sauces.
Basil goes very well with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil, and seasoned with salt and a grind of black pepper. This is a Caprese salad - great in summer when tomatoes are red, jucy and full of flavour! See recipe below.
Back to our basil now- there is also ice cream made with basil - give it a try when you find it, I heard it is very refreshing.
Basil has proven strong antibacterial and antispasmodic properties. In the past it has been used as a remedy for bladder and kidney ailments, and as a remedy for chronic diarrhoea and dysentery.
Sweet basil applied to insect stings or venomous bites is said to draw out poison and reduce itching.
RECIPE
Insalata Caprese is one of the  simplest and most delicious of salads. It requires only the right ingredients and the right season. This is basically a summer dish: it should be made only with local vine-ripened tomatoes that are red, juicy and flavorful but not overly soft, and preferably unrefrigerated.
The next ingredient should be truly fragrant, flavorful young basil: green basil grown in the earth and sun. The next essential ingredient is good quality fresh, moist mozzarella. Good fresh cow's milk mozzarella does just as well. Finally, you need genuine extra-virgin olive oil. With a good quality fresh bread and a glass of cool or slightly chilled white wine, this makes an  excellent summer lunch or, in a small portion, an ideal first course for a  summer meal.

---