ADDING FLAVOUR TO SOUPS

Time to try something a little different since this soup is just for myself. A good opportunity to open that bottle of tomato puree with only basil added. It is imported from Italy where they grow wonderful tomatoes that are made into healthy "slow foods". The lid turned with a "thunk" so that means it has been safely sealed. The top layer in the jar looks a little darker than the rest but that is often seen at the top layer of many other canned fruits. I popped a heaping tablespoon into the already cooked mixed vegetables and I will have a new adventure I told myself because I haven't used basil flavouring before.

A little powerful and I'm not too impressed but not wanting to be wasteful I consume it for supper. Then I reach for my "Herb Book" by John Lust to see what he says about it. Sure enough, there is even a picture of the plant. He says it is helpful to relieve spasms or cramps; is an appetizer - excites appetite; a carminative - for expelling gas; a galactagogue - increases milk supply; a stomatic - stimulates digestion - and is taken for stomach cramps. It is used for constipation, and enteritis - inflammation of the small intestine. It is said to help relieve headaches and used when suffering from whooping cough.

I didn't have any of these problems that needed curing, particularly the word "constipation" tells the story of a busy evening that almost required running shoes. I should have read the information from the herb book before eating anything with basil in it. With hindsight I realize there was likely a good reason why the top layer looked a little darker. I think the Basil flakes had settled to the top. The cells within my digestion system must have gone into a tailspin, perhaps blaming the brain messengers, for not thinking of the excessive amount of basil coming down for them to handle. They all forgave me and let me get to sleep by midnight. I took note of another lesson to imprint in my brain box. My neighbour makes wonderful European foods and was happy to be gifted with the rest of the bottle (680 grams) contents.