Basil Leaves

Ingredients: Basil Leaves. Description: There are many types of basil, which vary in size, color, and flavor, and all can be used for culinary purposes. Basil goes with almost everything, but it has a special affinity with tomatoes. Freshly torn basil leaves are delicious on a salad of sliced tomatoes, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper and drizzled with a fruity extra-virgin olive oil, accompanied by crusty bread. Italians cooks, however, preserve their prolific basil crops by filling a jar with the leaves, lightly salting them, topping up the jar with olive oil, closing it tightly, and storing it in the refrigerator.