Welcome to the Green Challenge!
Welcome to the Green Challenge!
First you'll need to acquire some basil seeds. You can find basil seeds from various outlets*, at the time of writing the current prices were correct:
- - Ask a friend - FREE!
- - Seed swap groups - FREE!
- - Wilko’s starting from £1
- - Homebase starting from £2.15
- - B&Q from £2
*We are not affiliated nor partnered with any of the companies listed.
You’ll need a seed tray (or pot with drainage holes) and compost. It’s super easy to sow basil seeds, Rustie Lee will show you how:
Basil growing tips
-Start your seeds off in pots of moist peat-free seed compost as basil is fragile (multipurpose can also work if seed compost is hard to find) on a warm but not sunny windowsill.
- Sowing them closer together will help them compete and grow bigger.
- Basil likes to grow in bright, warm conditions so find the warmest place in your house to set it down. The kitchen or living room windowsill might seem like a good place, careful if you close the curtains at night as your basil might get cold. So, make sure it's on the inside of your curtain.
Troubleshoot with fellow Green Challengers via our Facebook Group and keep us updated on how your basil grows by sending us photos.
Over the next few weeks as your basil starts to grow, Rustie will teach you to make some tasty recipes.
Next week, you will get the first tutorial for the Speedy Tomato and Basil Pasta.
Here is the ingredient list, so see what you have already in the cupboards and what you might need to fetch:
Speedy Tomato and Basil Pasta Ingredient List
500g pasta (any and all shapes)
1 garlic clove
1 onion
Balsamic vinegar
Handful of cherry tomatoes (or any other tomatoes)
Any other veg that needs using up
Around 6 sundried tomatoes roughly chopped + some of the oil
25g fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Optional: cheese
Get into the cooking mood by tuning into Great British Menu on Together TV. Check our TV guide for times and find us on Freeview 82, Sky 170, Virgin Media 269 and Freesat 164.
