Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Originally uploaded by The Marmot

Mediterranean and Indochinese cuisines often use basil, the former frequently combining it with tomato. Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce from the city of Genoa, its other two main ingredients being olive oil and pine nuts. This photograph has become one of my most popular. It was first picked up by "Botany Photo of the Day". Recently, it has been used by two blogs:

"Eco Child's Play" and "EcoMetro" (Portland, OR)