‘Cement it with fun and kindness’ is one of our core operating principles at Carbon Re. We like a pun, and we also understand that while we’re here to extend Earth’s life, ours is still limited and we want to enjoy it. This means making our work environment welcoming and fun to be in, and what better way to do that than by coming together over fresh and nutritious food?
This month we tried something new with our Forks Farm Hydroponics Farm: we grew a bumper crop of basil and lemon basil and got the team together to make pesto. A small group of harvesters supplied the crop, while others weighed and prepared our simple yet delicious pesto ingredients—olive oil, fresh lemon juice, pine nuts, parmesan and lots of garlic. A third group sowed the seeds for our next harvest.
Even baby Rafa got involved, overseeing the process as we chopped, blended, and stirred our way to a tasty team meal.
We often sit down together to enjoy a meal together during the week – it’s one of the many lovely things about working at Carbon Re. Food connects us. Growing our own herbs and making homemade pesto from scratch was extra special – and extra tasty. And, as with all our hydroponic farm produce, our pesto has higher nutritional value and tastes better than anything we could buy off the shelf as we harvest only moments before we eat.
Basil facts
Since every day is a learning day at Carbon Re, here are our favourite facts about basil that we learned during our pesto-making session:
- Basil isn’t just a tasty addition to your pizza and pasta. Naturopaths recommend it to ease headaches, sore throats, coughs and skin irritation, as it’s rich in vitamins A, C and K as well as copper, calcium and magnesium.
- In ancient Greece, basil was so revered that they forbade it to be harvested with anything other than gold or silver. Experts today recommend tearing basil – never cutting – as metal oxidises the basil, causing it to blacken and lose flavour.
- Though it’s an Italian favourite, basil actually originated in India over 4,000 years ago.
- From Thai to lemon, to purple and Mexican spicy, there are over 150 varieties of basil – each boasting different leaf shapes, colours, aromas and flavour profiles.
Of course, this pesto-making session wasn’t just about food—it was about taking time out to appreciate the simple joys of growing, cooking, and eating together. Events like this reinforce our commitment to sustainability, foster stronger connections within our team, and remind us why we do the work we do.
Good food fuels good work, and at Carbon Re, we’re feeling happily full and energised and ready to keep pushing forward.
Bon appétit!
COO