Basil is the Crowning Touch for Summer Grilled Chicken

My garden is filled with basil plants - my favorite fresh herb.  I discovered that basil is easy to root to keep your garden in continuous supply.  Snip off a stem of basil, cutting it at a leaf nodule.  Remove leaves at the bottom so that about 2 inches of the stem are free of leaves.  Insert into a container of water and let the basil sit near a sunny window.  I have found that empty wine bottles make beautiful containers for basil stems!   Add water as necessary, and over the next 2-4 weeks you should find that the stem has developed good, long roots(with wine bottles, you will have to add water everyday so that the end of the stem is always in water).   If the stem dries out and the leaves wilt because the water level has dipped too low to cover the bottom of the stem, you will have to start over with a fresh stem of basil.

Transplant the rooted basil into a container that has been filled with potting soil that has been thoroughly soaked first.  Make a deep indentation into the wet soil, and set the plant in it.  Firmly tamp down soil around the plant, then place container outside where it will get at least 6 hours of sun per day, in a sunny window, or under a grow light.  Make sure to water whenever it starts to dry out.  After another two weeks, the roots should have satisfactorily developed in the pot that you can transplant, if you wish, into the garden.

Basil will grow indefinitely under the right weather and watering conditions, as long as you regularly cut off the leaves and stem from the top to prevent flowering.

Here is a great marinade using fresh basil that was wonderful for grilled chicken.  You can also use it to marinade shrimp, which you would skewer after marinating in order to grill.  As I have mentioned before, I am a fan of the seasoning compound, Nature's Seasons, but you may substitute seasoning that includes salt, pepper, garlic powder and herbs/spices.

Summer Grilled Chicken
1/4 cup white wine vinegar                                                             
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp. Nature's Seasons
4 fresh basil leaves, minced in strips
4-6 chicken breasts

Combine first five ingredients in a medium bowl to make the marinade. Add the chicken breasts, pressing into the marinade, and allow to marinate for an hour, turning breasts occasionally to ensure full coverage. Over med-high heat on gas grill, or hot coals that are no longer flaming on charcoal grill, sear breasts on both sides, then allow to continue cooking on medium heat, turning occasionally until breasts are cooked through, approximately 20 minutes, more or less depending on the size of the breasts. The "touch test" is when you press a finger into the breast and it feels firm. Check by cutting into the thickest part of the breast to see that the flesh is white with no traces of pink remaining. Remove from grill and serve.  

Serving idea: this chicken is great on its own, but also delicious cut into strips and stirred into fettucine alfredo. Even kids love it!