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However,
unlike the guest, parsley makes its presence very welcome.
Few herbs can compete with it for versatility and nutrition.
Parsley is an excellent source of vitamins A, C and E and
iron.
Throughout most of Canada, parsley is classified as an annual,
but in coastal BC it is grown as a biennial, surviving the
mild winters. Second year plants there seem to have finer
leaves and a grassier flavour.
Few insects or diseases will bother parsley, but unlike most
herbs it needs well-fertilized soil and generous watering.
If your bed isn't producing enough, side dress with a high
nitrogen fertilizer every four weeks or so.
Parsley is the ideal breath freshener and will even counteract
garlic. Herbalists recommend parsley for the treatment of
osteoporosis as the herb raises estrogen levels (it is supposedly
a libido booster for women!) and is a good source of fluorine,
a bone strengthener. As a diuretic, parsley is also advocated
for the treatment and prevention of kidney stones and bladder
infections. The European herbal commission, Commission E,
suggests making a tea from the parsley root and drinking two
to three cups a day. Steep the herb for 10 to 15 minutes,
then strain. Topically, parsley is reputed to be effective
in the treatment of bruises. Repeated applications of crushed
leaves will usually clear up the telltale black-and-blue marks
within a day or so.
Parsley seeds have a much stronger diuretic action than the
leaves and they may be substituted for celery seeds in the
treatment of gout, rheumatism and arthritis. Both plants act
by encouraging the flushing out of waste products from the
inflamed joints. Parsley is safe at normal levels of consumption,
but the seeds can be toxic if consumed to excess. Do not take
the seeds if suffering from kidney disease or during pregnancy.
The word parsley comes from the Greek, petros, meaning
rock. This may refer to the herb's ability to cure kidney
and bladder stones or it may simply refer to parsley's natural
growing habitat in the Mediterranean. Although the Greeks
used parsley medicinally and Homer recorded that warriors
fed it to their horses, the Romans were first to use the herb
as a food. They consumed parsley in great quantity and made
garlands for banquet guests to discourage intoxication and
to counter strong odors.
Here is a recipe for a parsley sauce, reputedly a favourite
of King Henry Vlll's, for pouring on his roast rabbit. It
comes from The Treasurie of Hidden Secrets and Commodious
Conceits by John Partridge (1586): Take a handfull
of washed Parsley, mince it small, boyle it with butter and
verjuice upon a chafing dish, season it with sugar and a little
pepper grosse beaten; when it is ready put in a fewe crumbs
of white bread amongst the other: let it boyle againe till
it be thicke, then laye it in a platter, like the breadth
of three fingers, laye of each side one rosted conny [rabbit]
and so serve them.
Here's one that's easier to follow:
Parsley Sauce
· 2 Tbsp. of butter
· ¼ cup of unbleached white flour
· 2½ cups of milk (non-dairy such as nut milk
is OK)
· 1 handful of parsley, finely chopped
· Salt and pepper to taste
Melt
the butter in a pan. Remove from the heat, add the flour and
stir in with a wooden spoon until you have a roux. Slowly
add the milk, stirring continuously; add the salt and pepper
to taste. Return to the heat and continue to stir until the
sauce simmers and thickens. Add the finely chopped parsley
and stir in. This is a pouring sauce. For a coating sauce
use twice as much butter and flour.
One of the great dishes to use parsley as a main ingredient
is the Middle Eastern salad, Tabbouleh. Here's my favourite
version:
Tabbouleh Salad
· 2 large bunches of fresh parsley (never use dried!)
chopped fine
· 1 cup of fresh mint leaves (or, if you must, 1 Tbsp.
of dried)
· 1 bunch of green onions chopped fine
· 5 tomatoes, diced very small
· Juice of 6 lemons
· ½ cup of bulgur wheat, medium or fine
· ¼ cup of olive oil
· 3 cloves of garlic, minced
· 1 dash of hot red pepper flakes or sauce
· Salt and pepper to taste
· 1 dash of Sumac (optional, but desirable and available
in most Middle Eastern grocery stores)
Put
the bulgur in a glass container and pour over it half the
lemon juice. Add sufficient water to completely cover. Allow
it to soak until all the liquid is absorbed. Put the tomatoes,
herbs and onions into a large mixing bowl, then add the bulgur.
Add the rest of the lemon juice, olive oil, hot pepper flakes
or sauce, sumac, salt and pepper. Mix well.
My favorite recipe using copious amounts of parsley is the
following for roast lamb cooked on a bed of potatoes. Its
origin is a Belgian recipe called carbonnade, a beef dish
cooked in beer. The French modified the dish using lamb and
it is one of those slow-cooked meat dishes dating from the
time that household ovens were rare. Villagers sent the dish
to be cooked at the local bakery. As soon as the bread was
out of the ovens and while they were still very hot the meat
dish was put in to cook for three or four hours. By the time
the oven was cool, the meat was so tender it could be eaten
with a spoon. The French like to lard their lamb with slices
of bacon and sometimes other herbs such as rosemary, thyme
or marjoram were added to the dish. Another option also is
to add other vegetables such as onions, artichoke hearts or
fennel to the potatoes. The slow cooking method means that
the lamb and potatoes will absorb all the flavors of the herbs
and the potatoes will absorb all the fat. Here's the basic
recipe that can be modified to personal taste:
Roast
Lamb with Potatoes, Parsley and Garlic
·
1 medium-large leg of lamb
· 10-12 potatoes, cut into quarter-inch slices
· 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
· 12 cloves of garlic, minced
· 2-3 handfuls of fresh parsley (do not use dried!),
chopped
Make
a bed of the potatoes, garlic, parsley and stock in a large,
lidded roasting pan. Set the lamb in the potatoes and roast
at a medium-low heat - 300-325F - for three to fours hours.
For a browned roast, simply remove the lid and increase the
heat to 350-375F for the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
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