Basil and tomatoes are among those flavors that always go well together, like strawberries and cream, like chocolate and banana, like cinnamon and toast.
A bit of basil always brightens tomato, whether it is sprinkled with vinaigrette over sliced tomato and mozzarella cheese or added in the last minute of cooking to a simmering tomato sauce.
It’s an easy combination and an expected one.
But basil is known as the king of herbs for a reason: It goes so well with so many things. So I wanted to do something different. I wanted to use basil in recipes that do not call for tomato (or watermelon, for that matter, because watermelon and basil is another one of those always-perfect pairings, like oatmeal and raisins).
It isn’t hard to find such recipes. And that is good at this time of year, because basil is particularly abundant now.