Gourmet or Bad Gardener?

I've finally taken the plunge and become a trendy foodie: I used fresh, homegrown basil in my latest pasta dish!  Now before you roll your eyes and say 'that's so three years ago, get with the times lady,' let me remind you that I am so far behind the times I still think the original Oregon Trail (circa 1987?) is the best video game ever!  I love basil, I use it in practically everything that isn't a dessert, but it gets spendy buying herbs and I've always wanted to try growing my own.  It is impossible to grow anything in my current climate, at least of the edible sort, what with herds of rampaging ungulates, 100% clay soil, and pretty much zero rain for most of the summer so I content myself with a few weeds, I mean wildflowers out in the flower beds and refrain my vegetable gardening to the freezer section at the local grocery store.  But I do have some nice big, bright windows so thought maybe an herb or two (also of the weed family!) might survive indoors.  I planted basil and parsley and both seem to be doing well, but the basil had reached the stage where I should be pinching it back.  I pinched back a tad too much on one plant, half the plant to be honest, and instead of wasting it, it went into the goulash.  Bad gardener, good cook?  Only time will tell!