Kitchen Garden

PARSLEY

Pity the poor British parsley. This is the curly, or moss-curled, variety which we can all remember, but is not so widely available these days. It has been overtaken by the European – usually French or Italian – flat-leaved parsley which has a stronger flavour and may better survive a cold winter. The curly parsley, one might say, is for Brexiteers, but, having voted to remain in the European Union, I am a flat-leaved fan.

Of the Euro-parsleys, the Italian variety has larger leaves and is more satisfying to grow. There is also Hamburg parsley, which has an edible root and is said to have been first grown in Germany in the 16th century. Its other name is turnip-rooted parsley, to which it bears no resemblance. The root is tapering, similar to a parsnip’s.

Parsley seed is painfully slow to

germinate, taking a month or longer, and at this time of year is best sown in pots under glass. An outside sowing should be delayed until mid-may, in soil which must not be allowed to dry out. A good tip is to pour boiling water into the prepared drill before sowing, which should help to suppress weeds before germination. The plants will need thinning to about nine inches apart, and, if a further sowing is made in July, parsley should last well into the winter months. We were still cutting our parsley this year in late February.

The old-fashioned British parsley should not be neglected in a kitchen garden. Having recently seen curly parsley originating from Morocco in a local supermarket, I wonder if it could be making a comeback in this country.

It has been said before that parsley has the flavour and scent of all that is green and of the soil, but I have often heard the condescending comment that curly parsley is useful only as a garnish.

It surely deserves better, whether or not we associate it with Brexit. And all parsleys contain the bone-strengthening vitamin K, which should recommend this essential herb to us oldies.