Classy parsley a go-to herb
Did you grow up in a house where parsley was the go-to garnish for classing up platters?
Do you remember loading it into white cheese sauce or sprinkling it on your eggs?
Parsley was, and remains, a favourite herb in many Kiwi kitchens and it’s not surprising when you think about how hugely versatile a herb it is.
Almost any boiled vegetable can be topped with parsley (and butter in our house).
Appetisers, whether they’re fish, hummus or cheese-based, can all benefit from a sprinkling of parsley.
Find yourself short on basil for your pesto? Just use parsley instead.
The list of uses for parsley in the kitchen are endless.
I like to have both flat leaf parsley (sometimes called Italian parsley) and curly parsley on hand in my vege garden.
Generally, the flat leaf is the stronger variant. Although this can change depending on how old your plant is and how much sun it gets.
People often find it super easy to grow and once established parsley requires little maintenance.
Buy parsley seedlings from your local gardening store or order them online from www.awapuni.co.nz and have them delivered direct to your door.
We guarantee they will arrive in great condition or they will be replaced free of charge.
Parsley likes rich fertile soil topped with compost or manure if available. Plant it in a sunny spot or in pots close to the kitchen. Once established, it doesn’t need a heap of watering.
If any flowers appear and it starts looking like it’s going to seed, quickly cut these out and it will continue to reward.
Because it grows so easily I sometimes find myself with an abundance of parsley.
After I’ve given some away and frozen some more I like to use it in some parsley concentrated recipes – particularly salsa verde and tabbouleh.
Salsa verde is a cold uncooked Italian herb-based sauce. It is ideal for ladling on steak, fish or fresh sourdough bread. Salsa verde combines handfuls of chopped parsley, garlic, oil, vinegar and seasoning. It keeps well in the fridge for a few months so it’s perfect for the summer barbecue season.
Tabbouleh, often seen in Turkish restaurants, is a vegetarian salad. Its main ingredients are parsley, quinoa and chopped vegetables with a citrus dressing.
You’ll find many variations of both these recipes by searching online. Simply choose one that fits with what ingredients you have readily available at the time. Bon appetite