More recipe ideas for parsley
Dairy-free parsley pesto - Take a large bunch (about 100g) of parsley, remove any tough stalks (see tip below) and place the leaves into a food processor. Add ⅓ cup (50g) toasted almonds, cashews or sunflower seeds, 1-2 garlic cloves, juice of a tart lemon, and blend to combine. Drizzle in about 100ml olive oil until a thick paste is achieved. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store in a jar in the fridge and use within 1 week.
Save parsley stalks for stock - Parsley stalks are full of flavour. I keep a “stock bag” in the freezer, adding produce trimmings and off-cuts such as carrot ends, onion skins, leek ends, celery leaves, mushroom stalks and, of course, parsley stalks. Add 1-2 handfuls of these trimmings to a stock pot with 2-3 litres of water and roasted chicken bones (again I freeze these until I have 2-3 carcasses to make stock). Simmer for 2-3 hours then strain and portion the stock into containers. Or make vegetable stock with 2-3 handfuls of the stock trimmings in 2 litres water and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain.
Freeze excess parsley - In spring and summer when parsley can bolt, I slow this process by harvesting as much parsley as I can - focusing on pricking out the bushy stalks. Wash and dry the parsley – I love a salad spinner for this purpose – then remove tough stalks and pack the parsley leaves into reusable freezer bags. Or blend with a squeeze of lemon juice and enough olive oil to make a thick paste. Freeze into muffin trays then once frozen, remove to a free-flow bag. Thaw as needed to add to soups and cooking, or process into salsa verde or pesto. Use frozen parsley within 6 months.