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Pass the Parsley, Please

Posted 6/25/2009 8:21am by Lyndon Hartz.

Grandma's Parsley
by Good Earth Food Alliance grower, Amy Brucker

"A parsley sprig garnish does little to advertise this herb's versatility." Jerry Traunfeld.

The parsley bundles that went out with this week's CSA shares might have seemed rather insignificant compared to the beautiful purple kohlrabi, but, for those still learning to cook with fresh herbs, parsley is a great place to start. This herb is appropriate in nearly anything savory. Use it to infuse stocks, flavor soups and stews, and add freshness to salads. Any idea why the curly leaf variety of this herb has for decades been used as a garnish? After a meal of spaghetti and garlic bread, chewing on a sprig of parsley helps neutralize breath odor.

Let me digress for a moment:

My husband's grandmother loved parsley. According to legend, she ate it every day. I never met her because she died before we were married but stories about Grandma Brucker still surface whenever my husband's family come for a visit. There's one particular story about Grandma that seldom goes untold when her name comes up.

Today, many of us have stories about being stopped by airport security because we live in a world where tight security is necessary. However, airport security 30 years ago was not what it is today. A person had to be doing something REALLY wrong in order to get stopped by airport security in the '70's. Grandma Brucker was stopped from getting on a plane because she was thought to be carrying a "controlled substance." In her carry-on was a plastic bag stuffed full of freshly-cut parsley.

Nevertheless, Grandma Brucker continued to eat her daily supply of parsley. She lived to be 91 years old. Maybe she'd discovered something even more enticing in parsley - the Fountain of Youth.

For Good Earth Food Alliance CSA Members:

Basil's Harvest is offering four varieties of stromboli this week with sausage and vegetables sourced right from Elmwood.
Please note that we welcome returned egg cartons for recycling.
Here's some ideas for using kohlrabi, if you haven't tried it before. It tastes mild and sweet, like a young turnip. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to use. Kohlrabi can be used similar to a turnip. Slice it or grate it into salads, Cook in quarters, rounds, or matchsticks. Steam or roast it. Kohlrabi goes well with butter, sour, dill, mustard, and horseradish. Check out our recipe for Kohlrabi Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette.