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I am constantly amazed at how animated and talkative people get when you mention food. The mere aroma of certain foods can evoke memories that transport us back to a special place and time. Food can bridge the gap between all ages, races and ethnicities.
Let's face it, the only thing that should ever come between people is a table and some serving bowls.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Poor Under-appreciated Parsley


Parsley is much more than a garnish, it is high in vitamins A and C, and contains iron, iodine, and copper. Even though parsley has a very light scent and flavor, it is a terrific breath freshener and is also great for calming your stomach. Parsley is a member of the celery family.
My grandmother has always liked to use parsley. She buys it fresh, washes it, uses paper towel to remove excess water then she removes all the leaves and freezes the parsley in Ziploc bags or plastic containers. My grandmother is very heavy handed when using the parsley and it really does make a big difference in the flavor of so many things, such as her; “meatballs, pestos, pasta, salad dressings, salads, egg dishes (frittatas), beans, chicken”. You can really notice the difference if she leaves the parsley out, everything tastes much better with the parsley added.
So the next time you see that poor little sprig of parsley sitting on the side of your plate just waiting to be discarded, either eat it at the end of your meal and freshen your breath. Tear it up and sprinkle it over your food, anything other than just throwing it away. Make parsley a part of your day to day cooking, you'll be glad that you did.

Cracked Wheat and Parsley Salad

3/4 cup cracked wheat (bulgur)
1 1/2 cups snipped parsley
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tbsp. snipped fresh mint
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Soak cracked wheat in enough boiling water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain wheat and press out excess water. Place wheat, parsley, tomatoes, green onion, and mint in bowl. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over wheat mixture tossing to blend well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or more. Enough for 6 people

10 comments:

Foodie Tales said...

Hello Julie
What a fabulous blog you have! I really like your photos and recipes. E.

Julie said...

Thank you so much for the compliment. I've been enjoying your blog as well.

Glenna said...

Oooh, nice! I'm going to have to try that one.

Julie said...

It is really good Glenna, chewy, nutty and it's even healthy for us....always a plus.

Wendy said...

Adore parsley. I'm trying to grow the flat leaf version in my garden at the moment as I prefer the texture. It's not doing so well. Perhaps the curley leaf is more suited to colder climates. No matter. It's still delicious.
Will definitely be trying your recipe soon!

Julie said...

Hi Wendy,the flat leaf can be a little more difficult to grow. I'm in N.Y. and do grow both flat leaf and curley leaf. But I find the curley leaf to be much hardier and easier to grow.I do get some flat leaf but I find it yellows and dies off much quicker.

Anonymous said...

You're right about parsley being underappreciated. I love its freshness and use it lots of ways. Just adding some to roasted potatoes or couscous makes these standard sides sing. And pasta tossed with some oil, garlic, parmesan and parsley? So easy and so good.

Julie said...

Thank you Terry, I love it pasta too.

So So Simple said...

Julie
I am glad to see you are using curly parsley even though it is very unfashionable to say this... I still love it. Its bright green colour it does have plenty of flavour. Go curly parsley. Go Julie

Julie said...

Hi, So Simple
My grandmother always preferred the curly leaf, I guess I got that from her. I do use the flat leaf as well.