Produce Briefs...
White Corn
White corn is a sweet corn variety. Its ears are wrapped in tightly layered pale lime green to white husks. One ear of corn can contain up to 400 kernels growing in rows lengthwise.
Spring Onions
Spring onions are most often utilized raw. The whole onion can be flash blanched and grilled, which brings out more the robust and sweet elements of the onions, and makes them a bolder pair for fish and meats
Seasons/Availability
Lemon basil is commonly found in summer.
Current Facts
Lemon basil should never reach flowering during the harvesting periods. Once left to flower, its flavor is sacrificed, the leaves wilt and become rather leathery.
Description/Taste
Lemon basil recognizes its herbaceous culinary composition by displaying heady aromas and notes of citrus, specifically lemon and lime. The plant's narrow, ovate, light green leaves reach two inches long, producing lemon-scented white flowers and seeds.
Applications
Pick the leaves and use fresh or dried in vinegars, fish, vegetables and soups. As with most basil varieties, lemon basil should only be cooked briefly so as not to sacrifice its flavor and aromatic qualities. Chop lemon basil and puree with fresh blueberries and water, then serve as a cold soup. Blend fresh lemon basil with cream, then warm and serve over pasta. Add chopped fresh lemon basil to lemon cookie dough. Puree lemon basil leaves with 1/4 cup water, then mix with sweetened yogurt and freeze and serve frozen yogurt with grilled nectarines. Lemon basil is delicate and should be used immediately upon purchase. Store dry and refrigerated for up to a week.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Lemon basil is a common herb found within Thai, Laotian, Indonesian and several Middle Eastern region cuisines.
Geography/History
Lemon basil is a hybrid basil created from sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) and African Basil (Ocimum Americanum). As it is a tropical plant, it is grown primarily in Africa and Asia.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Lemon Basil. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Sugar Pies |
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Lemon Basil Cookies |
| Eli Cooks |
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Lemon Basil Frozen Yogurt with Grilled Nectarines |
Recently Spotted
Someone spotted Lemon Basil using the Specialty Produce app for iPhone and Android.
Produce Spotting allows you to share your produce discoveries with your neighbors and the world! Is your market carrying green dragon apples? Is a chef doing things with shaved fennel that are out of this world? Pinpoint your location annonymously through the Specialty Produce App and let others know about unique flavors that are around them.
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Little Italy Mercato Near San Diego, California, United States About 12 days ago Spotter's comments : Lemon Basil flowers. Vang's Farm. Available for the rest of the year. |
