Parsley comes in both crinkley and flat leaf varieties, but are both cousins and both biennial plants. They're sowed early in the year, traditionally March or April - the Jersey tradition is to sow them on Good Friday. Usually within six,seven or eight weeks they're ready to start cutting. With the Jersey climate, you can keep picking right through the winter. Then the following year, in April, May or June, they will go up to flower, and that will be the end of the life cycle. Parsley is usually sprinkled over grilled fish or grilled meat, but it has so many other uses, such as making dressings and marinades. If you blanche fresh parsley, it goes an even darker green, and you can put it in the liquidiser and use that for a lovely green oil or dressing. Use it with butters, with lemon juice, or in mashed potato with parmesan and truffle oil to totally change the flavour and texture of the dish. You can use either form of the herb, but the crinkley type is the best, as the flat-leaf, although it has a fabulous flavour, doesn't chop as well. It can become quite bitter and darker, so needs to be chopped at he last minute for the optimum flavour and appearance, but it can be used extensively in middle-eastern cuisine and is also fantastic in couscous salad with freshly chopped coriander and lemon juice. So why not try out Parsley and Lemon crust for fish? Click here to go to the recipe or Wells prawns with Garlic and Parsley Butter. Click here to go to the recipe Want to find out about other herbs? Click here to return to the main page.
| 
