I recently bought a bunch of fresh basil at the market, both to support my internal optimism (herbs and spring!) and to add a few leaves to my salad. But what to do with the rest of it? I didn't have quite enough for pesto, but it was a bit too much for immediate use. I decided to freeze it and came upon a simple way to make fresh herbs available at the drop of an ice cube tray.
This may be old hat for some, but I had never frozen my herbs in olive oil or butter. You can throw a cube into your skillet as needed for sautéeing, or thaw and add to freshly cooked pasta for a simple, delicious weeknight meal. If you use olive oil, once defrosted these cubes add a quick boost of flavour to any vinaigrette and are great for bread-dipping.