PARSLEY

Culinary & Medicinal

PARSLEY flat-leaf
♣ parsley is a salty-mineral, sweet, green, aromatic, refreshing, brightening herb
✲ flowers are white > yellow – use fresh as a garnish or in pickling
♣ fresh is best; leaves sweeter 1st year, taste much stronger more pungent the 2nd year.
♣ a real “superfood” parsley is affordable & accessible sadly SO overlooked in “wellness culture” for more exotic + expensive.
♣ minerals in parsley remain with cooking: if you don’t like the taste saute/cook with your recipe base flavours to add nutrient-density.

FOOD FLAVOUR PAIRINGS
Herbs: I’m yet to meet a herb that does not pair with parsley. Use to balance herbal flavours
Spices: “as above.”
Vegetables: potatoes, carrot, garlic, celery, root vegetables, alliums, peas, mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, olives, capers. leafy greens, fennel, brassicas, asparagus
Fruits: lemon, orange, quince, cranberries, 
Nuts & Seeds: walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, hemp
Beans & Grains:  all beans and grains I have ever cooked!
Non-Dairy: nutritional yeast, tahini, tofu, tempeh, coconut in curries
Dairy: butter, ghee, milk, cheese, cream, sour cream, yoghurt, labneh, kefir
Animal: eggs, oily fish, smoked fish, shellfish, octopus, poultry, pork, beef, lamb, game 

CREATE
Chop with garlic + lemon zest = gremolata add to simple boiled, braised, steamed, roasted dishes
Mix in just about every savoury dish. 
Saute with olive oil + garlic + chilli for a classic Mediterranean base
Blend fresh in juices, herbal butter, pestos, salsas, sauces, vinaigrettes, marinades
Bring the green adding parsley = bright green colour. Juices, sauces, soups, classic basil pesto
Infuse & ferment flavour vinegar, make shrubs, add to pickled and fermented vegetables
Extract minerals; vinegar extracts minerals; parsley + nettle + ginger = warming spring tonic
Shake in cocktails; bloody marys, mojitos, marguerita’s with other botanicals to add nutrients

STORE
Fresh parsley unwashed wrapped in cotton or paper towel or a sealed container in the fridge
Bouquet of fresh parsley makes a great edible arrangement vase, refresh the water regularly
Freeze  blended, pureed in ice cubes trays use stirred into soups, stews, braises, curries
Infuse fresh salt, butter, ghee, vinegar, alcohol
Dry in a paper bag or drying rack away from direct sunlight in an airy place. Store dried herbs in sealed glass jars in a dark cupboard.

MEDICINAL
♦ parsley is a remineralizing, nutrient-dense tonic “superfood.”
♦ parsley is like natures “daily multi-vitamin supplement.”
♦ parsley is alkalizing to the whole body balancing dis-ease 
♦ aids digestion, relieves gas, bloating, indigestion, constipation
♦ supports kidney health and detoxification: a gentle diuretic 
♦ supports the cardiovascular system, skin and eye health, bone strength
♦ anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic for muscle cramps, antibacterial, anti-fungal
♦ high in antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress 
♦ parsley seed essential oil, middle note; use with caution and precautions; externally only