Parsley
Petroselinum crispum (curly leafed); Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum
(fl at-leafed Italian)
I
n my earlier professional kitchen days, a as uncut sprays and the curly as chopped. Th e
chef asked me to chop some. I busily picked stalks of both finely chopped are a fi ne addi
off the curly tops when he yelled, “It’s parsley, tion to omelets and scrambled eggs.
not a poodle!” I replied, “This is how our chef Now for the garden! Parsley isn’t easy to
instructor at Brighton Tech School for Hotel start from seed; in fact, some old wives’ tales
Management told us how to do it.” suggest that it “Goes down to the devil seven
The next moment there was a swish and a times before it comes up.”
dull thud, and a 12-inch carbon steel Sabatier It does, in fact, take almost as many weeks
knife buried itself in the wooden kitchen to germinate (5–6 weeks), but it can be has
wall just above my head. “I said chop it,” yelled tened with an overnight soak in warm water,
the chef, who I later learned had been a circus and it’s useful to use a thermal insulated mug to
knife thrower. I chopped at lightning speed retain the warmth.
and have never looked back. I’ve learned to keep a pair of garden scissors
One little trick: when you’re done chopping in a lidded plastic container in the herb garden
a small heap—say 1 cupful—put it in a dry for ready use. It really does pay to snip all herbs
cloth towel, screw it up in a ball shape and run and not tear or bend and break their stems. As
it under cold water, wring every last drop out of with other leafy plants, always cut from the
it and turn the bright green flecks into a small outside, 2–3 inches up from the soil, and the
bowl, then leave it to dry out in the refrigera center will gain from the extra energ y. You’ll
tor, where it’s easy to get at for garnishes. notice a tall flower stalk developing ; cut this as
As a garnish, I use the flat-leaf Italian parsley it forms—you want leaves, not fl owers.
274 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE
