I have a lovely lot of fresh basil growing & wondered what people cook it with, I know pesto & added to pizza but what else please, can it freeze? If so which way is best.

I blitz it with a little olive oil (think pesto without the nuts and cheese) and freeze it in ice block cubes which I then store 'freeflow' in a container. Great for dropping in soups, casseroles, etc. at the last minute. One of my go-to recipes is chicken breast stuffed with a thawed cube (with optional crushed garlic added) and feta.
Lynne2

Thank you, that appeals to me, we would really like that.

Basil is good in any bolognese or tomato-based pasta recipe.

Also

Salsa Verde Pasta
200-400g fusilli pasta
1 cup fresh mint
1 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh coriander
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 lemon, juice
1 tbspn olive oil

Cook fusilli following packet directions until al dente.
To make pesto, whiz herbs, parmesan, lemon juice and oil in a food processor to a thick sauce.
Drain pasta. Toss with pesto until well combined, then serve with extra parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

Broccoli and Pesto Pasta
1 medium potato, peeled
1 head of broccoli
two handfuls of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
70g Parmesan cheese, grated
100g dried pasta
4 tbspns green pesto

Slice the end off the broccoli stalk, halve the stalk lengthways, then slice thinly. Cut little broccoli florets off the head and put to one side. Cut the potato into thin shavings using a vegetable peeler.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the pasta and broccoli stalks and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and potato slices, bring back to the boil and cook for about 2 minutes. Drain and discard the water from the pot. To the pot, add the basil leaves, pesto and parmesan and stir to combine. Serve.

Slightly off topic but still interesting, basil has religious significance in the Greek Orthodox Church, where it is used to sprinkle holy water. The ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks believed it would open the gates of heaven for a person passing on.

I must admit that I had an inkling basil was used in some Biblical fashion, but thought it was used to wash the feet of Jesus, so I looked it up on good old Google and came up with my first answer.

Off topic here too but I love the feel of the basil leaves when I wash or rinse the leafy stems under the tap. So sort of slippery-soft and velvety. Am I the only one who feels that way? Basil is one of my favorite herbs along with coriander. I put heaps into lettuce and other salads in the summer and use it where recipes state, but sorry I don't have other decent ideas of how to use it.
Regards Dawn

They all sound really nice thank you. I like yours Lorna a bit different to what I believe but quite interesting. It’s amazing how many ways you hear of how people believe you will get into heaven.

I was just wishing the other day I had heaps of fresh basil - I made a really lovely vinaigrette with lots of fresh basil in it and I wished I had more basil to make more vinaigrette! The recipe for the vinaigrette is part of this salad recipe (the salad was nice as well):

[cookieandkate.com]

Making a new batch of pesto to freeze in ice cube trays this afternoon and remembered a handy hint from the last lot I made. Instead of putting the pesto straight into the tray, lay a piece of cling wrap over it, pushing it down into the cavities, and spoon the pesto into the lined cavities. When it's frozen removing the cubes is just a matter of lifting the cling wrap rather than having to pop them individually. Bonus is a relatively clean tray!
Lynne2