Parsley - what's the point?

[NMDemDist2]

I bought a bunch of parsley the other day, thinking I'd put it in the lasagna and I ended up making chili today instead

so I'm looking at the parsley thinking "What's the point of that stuff? It's not like rosemary or basil that adds a lot of flavor. Why do I bother with that tasteless stuff?"

enlighten me oh cooking gurus...

:hi:

[cbayer]

1. I love the way it tastes.

I usually add it at the end and don't cook it into sauces. It adds a very fresh taste, IMO.

I posted my friend's chicken and honey dish last week. You cover it with chopped parsley at the end and it really livens up the dish.

:hi:

[Mind_your_head]

2. Welp *gulp* ..... It adds some nice green color without a whole lotta flavor to some things

about the only thing that I can think of where it really adds FLAVOR is to my soup stock. My chicken stock would be sorely lacking without a HUGE fistful of parsley added to it - I can really taste the parsley in my soup stock....but that's 'all I got'. :shrug:

[Stinky The Clown]

3. It *does* have flavor

It adds a nice, bright, herbaceous flavor rather than a big, distinct flavor like rosemary .... or even basil. It is an accent, but one that I miss if it isn't there. It is almost always used along with something else

Here's one for ya ........ next time you make some of that artisan bread ........ saute some garlic - or better yet, roast it - and mix it with some olive oil and a boatload of chopper parsley - say a whole bunch. You maaaaaay wanna add some salt and pepper. Now roll out your bread dough kinda like a pizza, but more squared off. Slater it with the parsley mix, roll it up like a jelly roll, and bake as normal. You'll appreciate parsley for its own sake after this.

edit to add ..... it cleans breath, too.

[NMDemDist2]

4. you're thinking I'll notice the parsley over the garlic

really?

:eyes:

:rofl:

but I probably will take your suggestion since I gotta get rid of the stuff before it's a slime puddle in my crisper drawer

:hide:

[Stinky The Clown]

6. It is a matter of balance, my dear.

[NMDemDist2]

7. hmmmm, never been my strong point

hence the years of AA and related crap

but I am getting better

I think....

:rofl:

seriously, I'm gonna try it, I've got half a batch in the fridge I'll have to do something with anyway

and then I'll use the bread to make Hasty Hots

:bounce:

[Stinky The Clown]

14. I FORGOT A STEP!!!!!!!

You need to saute the parsley, too. Don't load up the bread with raw parsley. Load it with cooked and cooled parsley with the garlic in it.

[NMDemDist2]

16. OK!!!!!!

but that's probably an important step :rofl:

just wilt it basically?

[Stinky The Clown]

17. ROFL

:whew: glad I caught ya!

Yeah, just wilt it .... or a bit more. Its pretty tough stuff for a small leaf thing. Somewhere a bit beyond "wilt" would be better.

[mtnester]

44. Oh you two that was hysterical!

It played out like a real time conversation.....the inflection, EVERYTHING was perfect....I could actually see Stinky hang up the phone, do some random things and go OMG OMG and race for the phone...

Cracked..me...up!

[NMDemDist2]

46. shows how long we've been buds around here eh?

and I get to met him and Sparkly this fall when we visit DC

I can't wait!!!

:bounce:

[wildeyed]

21. I come with a warning label, too....

Moderation is not my forte. :D

[NMDemDist2]

23. sisters of another mother

:hug:

:loveya:

[Lucinda]

5. I'm not a fan either.

And I have nothing to add to that! :rofl:

[wildeyed]

8. I add it to salads and other things I don't cook like hummus dip. It makes a nice pesto, too.

I don't think it adds much to cooked dishes, but on the other hand, I wouldn't use rosemary in a raw dish.

[NMDemDist2]

9. OK, I'll admit that Tabouli isn't the same with out it

too bad Mr. K won't eat Tabouleh

:rofl:

[wildeyed]

22. Love that stuff.

Can't wait 'till summer. Then I will make a huge vat and grill some lamb to go on the side. :9

[NMDemDist2]

25. me too

I may have to make some up this summer and make another pass at the ol Mr. K

he's getting much more open minded lately

[kentauros]

49. Will he eat falafel?

:)

This recipe for Palestinian falafel looks very close to the one made by some friends that run a local cafe called Zabak's Mediterranean. I've never tried making that particular recipe, but it looks good :9

[Autumn]

10. Wonderful stuff ,I chop it up and

use it on tacos instead of the lettuce or put it on sandwiches or just eat it straight.

[cbayer]

11. When I worked restaurants, we always put some on the plate.

Many patrons would chew on it after the meal as a breath freshener.

:hi:

[Autumn]

12. I use it wherever I can to replace lettuce, it adds zing

where as lettuce is bland. It was actually a Chef at a restaurant where I worked that turned me on to it.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

13. Hey, listen up...........

Without it, you can't make a Simon and Garfunkel classic album (which was playing when I got married once):

[Stinky The Clown]

15. You still got the thyme?

Sit. I have some sage advice. I got it from my friend Rosemary.

(sorry ....... I'll go now ...... )

[Tangerine LaBamba]

18. You're reminding me

why that particular marriage didn't last.....................

[NMDemDist2]

19. you crack me up at least once a day

this was it

:rofl:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

20. Staring at screen,

scratching self in secret place.

Smiling.

;)

[NMDemDist2]

24. ok, now you're just working it

but you are probably the only person around here who can appreciate my demented avatar


so you get a pass


:yoiks:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

26. Your avatar......

I regret to say I never noticed it.

I can't figure out what it is.

You give me far too much credit.

Parsley is nice on top of deviled eggs, by the way................

[NMDemDist2]

27. I can't figure it out either

it's some kind of critter with headphones on and that's a reel to reel tape deck in front of it

maybe it's a picture of Agent Mike


or maybe not a tape deck, maybe a DJ set up with a couple vinyl records

:shrug:


:rofl:

[TreasonousBastard]

43. Bide thy thyme.

[eleny]

28. Make a chicken soup with it and you'll notice the difference

And also add some to potato salad. It gives it a nice tang. One of mom's ingredients.

Be generous with it but not the whole bunch. A little goes a long way.

One last thing - To cut it up easily, put it in a cup and use kitchen scissors to snip it up in no time.

[The empressof all]

41. I was just thinking of Chicken soup and Chimicurri when I saw this thread

Parsley added to chicken soup adds to it's complexity. I can definetley taste the difference in soup without it. I rarely use parsley but always add it to the chicken soup.

Parsley chopped in the blender with EVOO, lemon zest and garlic also makes a wonderful "pesto" which is great served on chicken or with beef. I think it's a well used condiment in South American countries, called Chimicurri

[eleny]

42. One way to keep parsley fresh in the fridge...

Snip the bottom just like a bunch of flowers and put it in a glass of water, then cover it with a thin plastic bag. Fastening the bag to the glass with a rubber band helps keep it from spilling but it also makes a mini cool greenhouse.

[kestrel91316]

50. It's essential in Chicken and Dumplings, too. Goes in the dumplings, IIRC.

[troubleinwinter]

29. Wow. I love parsley.

In potato salad, in stuffing, on buttered noodles. It's a main ingredient in my piroshski recipe taught to me by a Russian friend. Sprinkled on soups. In cream cheese spreads. Anywhere & everywhere I can find to put it. Anywhere I want a nice light fresh 'green' taste.

To me it "brightens" and "freshens", but does not add a particular flavor that interferes.

I can't make some things without its light fresh flavor.

[troubleinwinter]

30. When my dad makes pesto

he does about 15% parsley to basil. He says it doesn't change the flavor, but makes it "more". He says it helps the pesto to retain a bright green color.

He freezes the pesto in ice-cube trays, then dumps 'em in a zip lock & can pull out however many cubes he needs each time.

He's not Italian, he's Swiss. ??!

[hippywife]

34. Ahem...

have you noticed the location of Switzerland on a map of Europe? :D

[troubleinwinter]

36. Yes,

our "family recipes" from that side of the family seem to be all French, German or Northern Italian.

[hippywife]

38. My grandfather's parents were from

northern Italy. He didn't look the least bit classically Italian. Gran's parents were from southern Italy and she of course set the tone in the kitchen.

[Warpy]

31. Parsley is actually a very nice veggie

it's great with all sorts of cooked veggies, chopped fine and sprinkled onto baked potatoes with a blob of sour cream, mixed in with half cream cheese and half cottage cheese with garlic and black pepper for a spread, sprinkled over shrimp scampi, zillions of other ways. For instance, try green peas cooked, buttered, and sprinkled with parsley, adds a whole new dimension. It picks up the color and flavor of mayo dressed salads, especially potato salads.

It's especially good with the really garlicky stuff because it acts as a natural breath freshener. Oh, you'll still reek of garlic, but you'll just make people cringe instead of falling over in a faint.

It's also good snipped, steamed (micro works) and mixed into pasta dough. It's great in dumplings. I've even done sprigs of curly parsley tempura.

I must be a weirdo, I always eat the sprig of parsley garnishing a plate of food and it's often the best thing on the plate.

[troubleinwinter]

32. I'm with you.

Parsley is wonderful in and on so many things!

When you mentioned "veggies", you reminded me of my favorite vegetable as a kid and a fave now, what my mother called "Fancy carrots".

Nothing more than 1/4" sliced steamed carrots with butter and parsley.

Made glamorous with this:

[Warpy]

39. My mother never got farther than garlic salt

and was grossed out when I was a kid and I'd eat the parsley on a plate of HoJo's rubber clams.

It really is very nice, though, and will pick up the flavor of just about any veggie, fish, or chicken dish.

[kestrel91316]

51. I loved those HoJo's fried clams. My dad was in the USAF and we lived all

sorts of places, but always took driving vacations, often all across the US to visit family out west. We of course drove on freeways to get there faster, and we kids insisted on eating at HoJo's for the fried clams as much as possible.

God, I can taste them and feel the crunch as I type this, and it's been nearly 40 years.

[grasswire]

33. I always have parsley in the fridge

Often it's TWO kinds of parsley. Flat-leaf Italian and regular. I love to chop a huge handful of the stuff to sprinkle in a green salad or stir into a bowl of hot cheesy pasta. I put a generous amount into slaws. It goes into gazpacho, green goddess dressing, hummus, tabouli, stews, stuffings, shrimp salad, rice dishes, and so much more!

I read once that parsley has ounce for ounce a huge nutritious boost. Dunno if that's so, but I just like it!

Yesterday I used just the parsley stems from a bunch to flavor some simmering beef for a sort of stroganoff.

I like to save celery leaves for flavor, too. And I'm wondering why no one ever uses carrot leaves.

[troubleinwinter]

37. Ya know I have NEVER

tried Italian flat-leaf parsley? It looks so..... flat! Going to the market today, maybe I'll grab some and give it a go.

I also love celery leaves. Seems to be where all the flavor is!

Carrots don't seem to have the leaves anymore in the stores!

[kestrel91316]

53. True cooks NEVER cook with curley parsley, only Italian flatleaf.

Seriously. There is no comparison.

[kestrel91316]

52. Parsley is HIGHLY nutritious. I am always happy to encounter a client

with a rabbit that actually feeds it Italian parsley regularly.

[NashVegas]

35. It Goes Awesome w/Chicken

And in soups.

[yellerpup]

40. Here's why parsley!!

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/07/01/23/the-amazing-health-benefits-of-parsley.htm

Nutrient Amount % Daily Value Rating*
Vitamin K 123.00 mcg 153.8 Excellent
Vitamin C 9.97 mg 16.6 Excellent
Vitamin A 631.80 IU 12.6 Excellent
Folate (folic acid) 11.40 mcg 2.9 Good
Iron 0.46 mg 2.6 Good
* Based on nutrient density and daily value.

Fights cancer. Parsley contains volatile oils that have been found to inhibit tumor formation in animal studies, particularly those in the lungs. The oils are not only cancer-fighting, they're also known to neutralize carcinogens including those found in cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke. Parsley also contains folic acid, which has been found to help prevent colon and cervical cancers.

Antioxidant-rich. Parsley contains beneficial antioxidant compounds called flavonoids. These compounds combine with oxygen-containing molecules and help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. Parsley extracts have also been found to increase the antioxidant capacity of the blood in animal studies.

Good for the heart. The folic acid in parsley is a critical nutrient in cardiovascular health. Specifically, folic acid helps convert potentially dangerous homocysteine into harmless molecules, a process that protects blood vessels and reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.

[NMDemDist2]

45. well dang!!! hard to argue with that eh?

thanks for the info

:hi:

[yellerpup]

47. To your health!

Sante! :toast:

[wryter2000]

48. It's subtle, but I like the taste

The flat-leaf type has more flavor than the curly. Probably the flavor won't show up too much in something cooked as long as lasagne, but it'd be more pronounced in lighter dishes.

[montanto]

54. So I guess that means you didn't put it in the chili

like you were supposed to. Anyway, I can taste parsley in the dishes that I make with it.

[NMDemDist2]

55. I added it to my hasty hots yesterday

and put it in water

we'll use it up when Lady B (my stepmom) is here, we always cook up a storm when we're together