FOOD : Herbal Remedy : Once You’ve Grown an Unusual Basil, How Do You Use It?

GARDENING AND cooking are the most compatible of pastimes. There is nothing quite as inspiring to a tired, jaded cook as a quick visit outdoors to pick dinner. At this time of year Angelenos can harvest greens, several kinds of lettuce, the last peppers and the first scallions, broccoli and herbs, cabbage, peas, carrots--just looking at them heaped in the basket is enough to make any cook feel smug and virtuous.

As a gardener-cook of about 12 years, I have found one small frustration: After growing many new and unusual vegetables, unable to resist the pictures and descriptions in the seed catalogues, I often wonder what to do with the strange and wondrous harvest. Scented basils, for instance: Their leaves, when rubbed or crushed, are pure perfume; even their flowers are lovely (though once plants begin to flower, the leaves deteriorate). But after tossing the leaves in salads or serving them on fresh tomatoes with a dash of balsamic vinegar (ambrosial delights, admittedly), what then?

Renee Shepherd anticipated such questions; she recently published a slender but very useful cookbook, “Recipes From a Kitchen Garden,” that includes recipes for the unusual vegetable and herb seeds sold by her company, Shepherd’s Garden Seeds, specializing in scented basils, edible flowers and baby vegetables.

These two recipes offer quite simple but deliciously different uses for scented basils. If these basils are not for sale in your local market (and even specialty food stores rarely stock these beauties), plant your own. Basil is very easy to grow from seed and will flourish in a pot in a sunny location. One good-size cinnamon- or anise-basil plant will provide all you need for these recipes.

(The basils can be used interchangeably, or plain basil can be substituted, but don’t add cinnamon with the plain basil; that will impart an undesirable brown color, and itwon’t approximate the delicacy of cinnamon basil.)

The amount of honey in both recipes can be reduced by half, if preferred.

CINNAMON BASIL CHICKEN

AND NUT SPREAD

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened1 tablespoon honey cup cooked chicken, white meat only, very finely chopped1 tablespoon finely chopped cinnamon basil leaves6 tablespoons toasted almonds, finely choppedSaltVery thin bread slices Blend softened butter and honey until smooth. Stir in chicken, cinnamon basil and almonds. Season to taste with salt. Remove crusts from bread and cut into shapes, if desired. Spread with chicken-almond mixture for open-face sandwiches. Makes 4 servings.

MELAMBROSIA FRUIT

1/2 pineapple, cut into 1-inch cubes1 cantaloupe, cut into 1-inch cubes1 teaspoon lemon juice2 tablespoons honey2 teaspoons orange-flavored liqueur)2 teaspoons finely minced anise basil1 teaspoon finely minced fresh mint Combine pineapple and cantaloupe in a serving bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, orange liqueur, anise basil and mint. Toss with fruit and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Scented basil seeds and “Recipes From a Kitchen Garden” (copyright 1987 Renee Shepherd, $9.95) are available from Shepherd’s Garden Seeds, 7389 W. Zayante, Felton, Calif. 95018. Scented basils are also available from Park Seed Co., Cokesbury Road, Greenwood, S.C. 29647-0001.

Photographed by John Reed Forsman / Styling by Norman Stewart / Accessories courtesy Paddington’s Tea Room