2019-06-01_Healthy_Food_Guide_UK_(2)

HOME-GROWNADVICEFROMJENNIFERIRVINE

PART

FIVE

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Asa keencook

andtheowner

ofhealthymeal

deliveryservices,

Jenniferis a year-round

gardener.Sheshares

adviceforgrowingyour

ownnutritiouscrops

andeasywaystoadd

themtoyourdiet

wasescape-proof).During

theday,thechickenswould

dineonfreshparsleyand

atnight,they’dheadback

throughtheholetosleep

offtheirfeast.I counted 48

oftheminthatfieldandthey

werethehappiestofhens.

Myhardworkpaidoff–

thesechickenswerebeing

rearedforthetableand,as

youcanimagine,aftertheir

territoryexpansionthey

weredelicious.

Parsleytastesgreatwith

somanyingredients,notjust

a roastchicken.It happily

spanstheculinaryglobe,

workingina rangeofItalian,

MiddleEasternandBritish

dishes,includingdressings,

pestoandtabouleh,aswell

asbeinga simpleflavour

enhancerforIrishmashed

potato.Andthisundeniable

staroftheingredientworld

is happytoplayeithera lead

orsupportingrole,

dependingontherecipe.

Sogatherupyourpots,

orprepareanareaina bed,

andyou’llbeabletopickit

freshwheneveryoulike,for

barbecuesandroasts.

HOWTOGETSTARTED

Sowing

Youcansowyourseeds

directlyintothesoilatthis

timeofyear,untilJuly(in

futureyears,youcandothis

anytimefromMarchor,if

youwanttogetahead,from

JUNE

I

GREW UP ON A FARM IN

WEST CORK, which meant

I was lucky to have a wild

and free-range childhood.

I remember exploring the

fields around our home and

noticing how quickly one of

them became taken over by

parsley. A few plants had

gone to seed and, in time,

the entire field was swathed

in a stunning mass of

delicate, cloud-like flowers.

This piece of land, ‘Parsley

Field’, was a funny-shaped

patch between the stream,

our mum’s cheese-making

shed and the chicken shed.

And it was these chickens

that provided me with the

inspiration for one of my

first culinary plans: I set to

work with a hammer and

chisel and made a hole in

the side of the shed so the

hens could escape into the

field (which I’d made sure

February

onwards in a

propagator on a windowsill).

You can also plant seeds in

pots and keep them inside

on a window ledge.

Parsley grows best in a

shady spot and you’ll need

finely raked, moist soil. Make

sure the soil is warm before

sowing seeds thinly, 30cm

apart, in well prepared

composted beds. Lightly

cover with more compost

and keep moist. Parsley

seeds are very slow to

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16 HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE JUNE 2019