Dust of the Ground

Propagating Basil From Cutting

          I believe that from the dust of the earth we came and so as what nourishes our body. There is something very fulfilling about growing your own food.

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7          

I've always loved planting things even when I was little. I would plant seeds of fruits I ate that are now trees that bare even more fruit. It just seemed like the most natural thing to do.

          You don't really need much to start a small garden, just soil and plants. I suggest you start with something simple like a potted basil plant. You just need to know the basic things your plant needs, good soil, regular sunlight, and water. Water is very important but only enough that the soil is always moist, so it's very low maintenance.

          When your basil has grown to about 6 inches  high you can start pruning it. The more regularly you prune, maybe  every 2 weeks, the more leafy and bushy it gets. When it starts blooming you should prune that part to make sure that the leaves retains good flavor.

          When it has grown to about a foot high, you can start propagating your basil plant.

          

Photos from L-R:

Photo 1 - Prune out about 5-6 inches worth of basil. Make sure to remove the flowers in case that it has any.

Photo 2 - Take out the leaves from cut side up to half the length of each piece you cut.

Photo 3 - Submerge the leafless stem in water and just wait until it starts to root. Place it in an area where it gets regular sunlight and change the water after a week.

You may plant them in soil when the length of the roots is half the length of the piece you cut. This will take about 10 days to 2 weeks (Top Most Photo).

          I started with just one basil plant and now I have 7 small and 3 full grown basil plant in my herb garden from the cutting method. Of course all this hard work comes with its rewards.

Lets be rustic and use non specific measurement and mortar and pestle. This blog is all about feeling and listening to what your ingredients will tell you.

Basil Pesto

2 - 3 Cloves of Garlic
1 hand full of Pine nuts, roasted
2 hand fulls of Basil Leaves
Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 hand full of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt

1. Put in 2 – 3 garlic cloves and a little salt and pound it into a paste. Put in the pine nuts and do the same.
2. Add in basil leaves and olive oil alternately as you grind it with the mortar and pestle. Add just enough oil that it won't be too dry. 
3. Add Parmesan cheese and just enough salt to bring all the flavors together. 
4. You can adjust the consistency by adding more oil at the end and adjusting the seasoning accordingly.

Like the soil nourishes our body it is God who gave us life that nourishes our soul