Seasonal Basil

SweetSoil Seasonal Basil is locally sourced basil harvested during the New England growing season, dried in small batches, and preserved so its bold, savory flavor is ready whenever dinner is.

How to Use It

Basil is a kitchen staple for good reason. Its warm, earthy flavor and slightly peppery edge work especially well with tomatoes, vegetables, meats, cheeses, and dishes built around olive oil and garlic.

A few obvious options for Seasonal Basil are:

• tomato and pasta sauces
• pizza
• roasted tomatoes
• grilled or roasted chicken
• pork and lamb
• meatballs
• potatoes
• zucchini and summer squash
• eggplant
• beans and lentils
• soups and stews
• vinaigrettes and marinades

Some not-so-obvious applications are:

• scrambled eggs and omelets
• roasted nuts
• popcorn
• compound butter
• focaccia and savory breads
• feta and goat cheese
• grilled corn
• homemade crackers
• salad dressings
• seasoned olive oil for dipping

For the best flavor, lightly crush the dried leaves between your fingers before adding them to a dish. Basil can stand up to heat and longer cooking times, but a small pinch added near the end of cooking can bring back some of its brighter herbal aroma.

Why It’s Better

Our Seasonal Basil starts as fresh basil sourced from local farms and certified gardens during the growing season.

We dry it in small batches rather than treating it like an anonymous pantry commodity, helping preserve the aroma, color, and character of an herb that was recently growing close to home.

And because basil is an agricultural product, not a standardized ingredient coming off an assembly line, each harvest can be a little different.

Variety, weather, growing conditions, harvest timing, and individual growers can all influence the finished herb. Some batches may be especially bold and peppery; others may lean greener, sweeter, or more aromatic.

Those differences are part of what makes seasonal food interesting.