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Parsley
comes in both crinkley and flat leaf varieties, but are both cousins
and both biennial plants. They're sowed early in the year, traditionally
March or April - the Jersey tradition is to sow them on Good Friday.
Usually
within six,seven or eight weeks they're ready to start cutting.
With the Jersey climate, you can keep picking right through the
winter. Then the following year, in April, May or June, they will
go up to flower, and that will be the end of the life cycle.
Parsley
is usually sprinkled over grilled fish or grilled meat, but it has
so many other uses, such as making dressings and marinades.
If
you blanche fresh parsley, it goes an even darker green, and you
can put it in the liquidiser and use that for a lovely green oil
or dressing.
Use
it with butters, with lemon juice, or in mashed potato with parmesan
and truffle oil to totally change the flavour and texture of the
dish.
You
can use either form of the herb, but the crinkley type is the best,
as the flat-leaf, although it has a fabulous flavour, doesn't chop
as well.
It
can become quite bitter and darker, so needs to be chopped at he
last minute for the optimum flavour and appearance, but it can be
used extensively in middle-eastern cuisine and is also fantastic
in couscous salad with freshly chopped coriander and lemon juice.
So
why not try out Parsley and Lemon crust for fish? Click
here to go to the recipe
or
Wells
prawns with Garlic and Parsley Butter. Click
here to go to the recipe
Want
to find out about other herbs? Click here
to return to the main page.
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