Bounty of basil? Andrew Coppolino has tips to make most of this herb

If your basil is outgrowing its planter or taking over the garden, you're not alone.

This has been a particularly good summer for the herb. When conditions are right, it grows easily and comes back quickly when harvested. The plant loves full sun and the 30 C temperatures, something we've had a good dose of this summer.

"If you've stayed on top of the watering, it's been a phenomenally good season," said Martina Reckl of Kitchener's Sheridan Nurseries. "Basil doesn't mind the sun and humidity, but you can't let them dry out. You need to keep the plants moist every day." 

While sun and heat are fine for basil, a stiff breeze is not. As best as you can, keep basil plants out of the wind, according to Antony John of Stratford's Soiled Reputation.

Wind, he said, "makes the leaves leathery, so we grow ours in the heat and humidity of a greenhouse."  

There is a wide variety of basil plants from green and red basil to dark purple and lemon basil.

The flavour notes can evolve from tarragon and licorice to peppery and clove-like as the season progresses but also on different leaves of the plant and even different places on a single leaf.  

By the end of September, and when temperatures start to consistently drop below 10 C, Reckl said the plants have to be brought inside, either by moving the whole planter box or harvesting it all and using it. 

What to do with it all

So what do you make with your abundance of basil? Pesto is perhaps the first thing that comes to mind. It's the classic sauce and condiment of Liguria, Italy, chock full of basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and garlic.

If pesto's not your thing, or you simply can't make anymore of it, there are other options.

According to folklore, you can set basil plants in and around windows and doorways to repel bugs. You can dry batches of it by hanging it or slowly heating it on the lowest setting of your oven for three to four hours or even use the microwave.

Freezing basil is an alternative, but it makes it mushy when thawed, which means it's really only useful for adding to cooked dishes.

Fresh basil leaves can be garnishes for drinks or simply combined with cantaloupe, watermelon or other melons for a refreshing and light summer dessert. Ditto with grilled peaches and a chiffonade of basil.

You can also make hot and cold infusions for basil oil or basil vinegar. In both cases, the herb needs to steep in the liquid for about a week before being strained and stored.

While basil ice cream is a bit complicated to make, you can create a basil granita or "ice" by simmering together water and sugar and allowing it to cool before adding basil leaves and lime juice. You then strain the concoction and freeze it: every 20 minutes or so over a couple of hours, scrape up the mixture as it turns to ice crystals and serve as a cold dessert or palate cleanser.

You can also make what I call basil gremolata compound butter, which will allow you to preserve the bounty of your basil harvest for some time in the fridge. It has a balance of tangy and sweet that adds a bit of August savoury to a barbecued steak.

• More columns from Andrew Coppolino

Basil-Gremolata Compound Butter

Though it has many versions, gremolata is the condiment and seasoning that is added to the classic Milanese dish osso buco. Putting it into a compound butter is a good way to get some extra mileage out of the delicate basil.  

Ingredients

1 stick of unsalted butter (about 115 grams), softened  

½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, washed and thoroughly patted dry

1 medium garlic clove 

Zest of ½ lemon  

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Combine the ingredients in a food processor (or chop all of it finely and stir together in a large mixing bowl). Whiz the ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Plunk the butter down on enough cling wrap and shape it into a log. Tightly roll the basil-gremolata butter and form it into a uniform cylinder. Close off the ends and twist the cling film at each end to tighten the cylinder.

The compound butter can be stored in the fridge for about two weeks or in the freezer for several months.