Seeds to Supper: The Basil and Tomato Journey

March 20, 2024

First post in our new blog series.

Hello all! I thought we’d start out with a new blog series that focuses on fun vegetable combinations, herbs and other edibles. This is the first in a series of videos and posts we will grow seed to fully mature plants that emphasize a garden to table lifestyle. Today, as our first step in embarking on a delightful journey from seeds to supper, we will be focusing on two garden favorites: basil and tomatoes (Yum). Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a green-thumb-in-training, this post will guide you through growing, nurturing, and eventually savoring these culinary staples right from your backyard or balcony.

The Food: Basil, Tomato and Mozzarella

Although we could use the tomatoes and basil in a number of ways, there is nothing better than a fresh basil tomato and mozzarella, or Caprese, salad. This will be our goal in this seeds to supper project.

caprese from your garden — The classic Caprese Salad – Basil, Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Starting with Seeds: The First Step

Choosing Your Seeds

As we always discuss, the quality of your end product starts with the quality of your seeds. Thankfully, there are a ton of great seed providers in the market, and proven varieties with amazing taste in both tomatoes and basil. Below are a couple options for these two garden favorites.

Basil: Look for varieties like Sweet Basil or Genovese, which are excellent for pesto and Italian dishes.
Tomatoes: Options abound, but Roma, Beefsteak, and Cherry tomatoes are great starters.

Note: We use Johnny’s Seeds, and chose two tomato varieties for this post: Black Krim Heirlooms and Supersweet 100 Cheery Tomato. For basil, we had Genovese Organic on hand, and chose to use those.

heirloom tomatoes — Johnny’s Seeds Black Krim Heirloom Tomatoes

Sowing Tips

our first step is to give our tomatoes and basil a jumpstart and let them grow in a shelter than fireman for the best result. You don’t need an extravagant rig to start seeds indoors, south facing window, quality seeds soil and water is all that’s required. Below is how you can get this jumpstart started.

Basil: Plant seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Use a well-draining soil mix and keep them warm.
Tomatoes: Similar to basil, start them indoors. Ensure they get plenty of light – a south-facing window is ideal.

We have grown both of these items indoors under grow lamps for about six weeks.