I am used to seeing parsley sprigs on restaurant plates with an orange slice, or on top of a bowl of egg salad. But parsley can be so much more than a garnish.
A few years ago I signed up to bring a few salads to the Hersha Christmas Dinner. I found an interesting recipe on Pinterest–it was pretty! with lots of red and green–and I tried it out. A major ingredient was parsley! Half a bunch! I had never used that much parsley in a recipe of any kind, and I don’t think I had ever really tasted parsley in a dish.
The Christmas salad was a hit, and I even got a few requests for the recipe. I’m going to share it here with you too: Israeli Salad. Since then I discovered Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad (another Pinterest find), which also calls for parsley–lending a unique flavor to my all-time favorite salad veggies.
Parsley seeds are slow to germinate. I started these plants in February, and potted them up in March, when they had 2-3 leaves. Giving them more space and direct sunlight helped them thrive–but a few weeks ago I seeded each pot again, sprinkling them around the growing sprigs, so the herb would come in fuller. If you want to learn more about growing parsley, you might start by reading about Flat Leaf or Italian Parsley at Bonnie Plants.
Today I am delivering Flat Leaf Parsley plants to all my shareholders! Happy May Day! Happy Spring! Now you can find something new to do with flat leaf parsley!
Keep a pot in your kitchen window, or set it outside in an even bigger pot. Make sure it gets sun and water. Snip off the leaves before they get too big and tough. Float them in soup, chop them into chicken salad, or set a sprig on top of an orange slice the next time you want a fancy plate.
Happy May Day!
Gwen's Greens 