chilli tomatoes with spinach couscous, mozzarella and basil oil

somehow i ended up with 500g of fresh basil earlier in the week – nine bunches, enough to fill a supermarket carrier bag! trying to work out how to use it was fun. you already know i used some to make a lemon & basil syrup which i added to cava.

basil oil is an old favourite and was an obvious choice - an easy one too: blitz together fresh basil, good olive oil, a little crushed garlic and some salt & pepper (it will last in the fridge 7-10 days).

i drizzled this over a couscous, mograbiah and spinach salad which was topped with caramelised cinnamon onions, harissa-roasted tomatoes and torn mozzarella (it was based on this recipe, with the addition of mograbiah (a type of large couscous, you can see a few of the balls at the front of the picture) to the couscous and mozzarella used in place of the labneh).

i shared this with friends, eating it sitting outside on the grass, as a light lunch with some green salad and warm bread. it would also be perfect as an accompaniment to a bbq.