Flat-leaf parsley available from
WhiteflowerFarm.com.

If not, a windowsill or garden pot of parsley will add beauty and convenience to your home.

Flat-leaf Italian parsley is more flavorful than the curly variety, so choose it to flavor your dishes. It also has a more modern sensibility as a garnish (or at least isn’t reminiscent of every curly parsley sprig you had in childhood).

Use it daily to add flavor:

• Snip parsley into scrambled eggs and omelets, into green salads and sandwich fillings, soups, pastas, potato salad, vegetables…and if “parsley potatoes” isn’t in your repertoire, boil new potatoes, toss lightly with butter and lots of fresh-snipped parsley. If you like, add chives or scallions and minced garlic, with salt and pepper to taste. Add it to mashed potatoes and french fries, too.

• The fresh flavor of parsley is a natural with with rice pilaf, risotto and rice salad. It accents just about any protein—beef, fish, lamb, pork or poultry. It accents soups and stews, and is the easiest garnish for just about any food.

If you do buy a bunch of parsley from the supermarket, it will keep for a week or more in the refrigerator if you stand it upright in a glass or plastic container with its roots in water. (This trick works with most herbs.)

Things you may not know about parsley:

• It is part of bouquet garni, a bundle of fresh herbs used to flavor stocks, soups, and sauces.
• It is a principal ingredient in tabbouleh.
• It is part of a persillade is mixture of chopped garlic and chopped parsley (often used in French cuisine).
• It is a component of gremolata, a mixture of parsley, garlic and lemon zest that is a traditional accompaniment to the Italian dishes.

And, as with all herbs, it’s an almost no-calorie way to season your food!