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HERB & SPICE COMPANION
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PARSLEY
Petroselinum crispum
Flavors: fresh, tangy, lightly
peppery
Parsley is so much more than just a garnish. Its fresh, green flavor enhances the flavors
of other ingredients in a dish. It’s an important component of classic herb mixtures
like bouquets garnis and fines herbes (see page 250), and its stalks can be used
to flavor all manner of soups, stocks,
and stews. Parsley leaves, on the other
hand, are more delicate and won’t stand
up to long cook times; they should be
chopped and added at the very end of
cooking or just before serving.
There are two main varieties found
in most grocery stores: curly parsley and
flat-leaf (or Italian) parsley. The pretty,
ruffled leaves of curly parsley are less
flavorful and more often used as gar-
nish, since they’re very easy to chop.
Flat-leaf parsley has stronger flavor, but
the two parsleys are, for the most part,
interchangeable.
In the Garden
Parsley, a biennial, will thrive outdoors in the garden or indoors in a sunny window.
Size: 1 to 2 feet tall
Container: 6 to 10 inches deep
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist, rich, well drained
Plant: Seeds, soaked in water for at least one day before sowing. Parsley seeds are
famously slow to germinate, so it might take a few weeks.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Used medicinally in ancient times,
parsley has been known to aid in
digestion and serve as a diuretic.
Those diuretic properties can help
relieve symptoms of urinary tract
infections and kidney stones, while
its digestive powers can help with
stomach upset, gas, and constipation.
Parsley also offers vitamins A, C,
and K, as well as iron, magnesium,
calcium, and potassium.
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