In today's Curious Cook column I write about the elusive flavor advantage of organic foods, and about a simple treatment that can increase the flavorfulness of basil and quite possibly other herbs and vegetables.
P. Maeder et al., Wheat quality in organic and conventional farming: results of a 21 year field experiment. J. Science of Food and Agriculture, 2007, 87, 1826-35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2866
H.-J. Kim et al. Effect of chitosan on the biological properties of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). J. Agriculture and Food Chemistry 2005, 53, 3696-3701. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf0480804