Purple Ruffles Basil Vinegar

Purple Ruffles Basil Vinegar
Enjoy basil vinegar mixed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper for a salad dressing that can't be beat!

Place 4 cups fresh Purple Ruffles basil leaves in a clean 1 quart jar and bruise the leaves slightly with a wooden spoon. Fill jar with cider or red wine vinegar; add several cloves of garlic and a hot pepper; cap jar. Place in a sunny window or outside for three weeks. Strain vinegar, pouring it into another jar or individual glass bottles. Add a sprig of fresh Purple Ruffles basil for decoration.

-Ellen Ecker Ogden, author of From the Cook's Garden cookbook