I love basil. I grow it every year. I rub the flowers in my palms and put the scent behind my ears like a rare perfume. What I enjoy most, is making my own pesto sauce with it. I cut off about 4 cups of leaves and put them in a processor. To this I add about 1/4 cup olive oil, some toasted pine nuts, half a cup of parmesean cheese and salt and pepper to taste. I blend it until I have a thick paste. Then I toss the thinest pasta available with the paste, adding a bit more oil if necessary. I top it off with a pat of the paste, more parmesean and a good grind of pepper. It is delicious.