Parsley Stems? Eeeek! What is This Fuzzy Green Sprig on My Plate?
The custom of decorating a dinner plate with a sprig of parsley supposedly came from a French control-freak uber-chef who would not let any platter, salver or charger leave his kitchen without his personal inspection.
The parsley placement ploy was his indication that the plate was ready to be served.
The parsley principle caught on big time, and dinners ever since, have been thusly decorated in fancy eateries as well as in greasy-spoon diners.
It has become so ordinary that it is now considered to be a bit old-fashioned. In fact, the parsley garnish has become a such a culinary cliche, that many upscale restaurants have banned it in favor of much fancier and inventive decorations, such as the tempura -fried filligree of butterfly wing.
Reasons I use Parsley
Well I'm sorry. I would rather chew my parsley then eschew it.
Here's why:
1. The flavor is fresh. It goes so well with potatoes, rice and almost all kinds of fish, poultry or meat, as well as stews, soups and casseroles. This freshness is especially appreciated in the winter when fewer fresh greens of good quality are available.
2. It makes other food look better. That bright green color does a lot to make a dinner plate look appealing.
3. I like to see my little parsley bouquet on the windowsill. (See first photo.)
4. Most important, It is nutritious. A small sprig of parsley is the equivalent of a regular serving of vegetables. It is high in vitamins, C, A , B, K and iron . It is a good source of folic acid, antioxidents and other nutrients.
(If you have kidney or gall bladder problems-- you might want to avoid too much parsley because of the oxyates that might lead to stone formation.)
I like both Italian and curly parsley.
I think the flat-leaf Italian kind has more flavor for cooking.
Curly looks cuter.
Great infor about parsley benefits!
- Parsley herb and its benefits
Parsley is grown in backyard gardens and nurseries. This flavoured plant is used in cooking, health remedies and as ornaments. It is the most common herb used in cooking.
Keeping Parsley Fresh
First of all, make sure it is fresh when you buy it. If it is limp, yellowish. has lots of soil on it, or smells funny , skip it till next time. You would be better off using dried parsley (which I don't recommend).
The leaves should be deep green. The stems should be crisp, firm , long and unbroken. It is best to find parsley with sturdy stems. If they are thin, the plants will wilt quickly.
You can keep it fresh by placing it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, but I like to keep all or at least some of mine in a little vase on the kitchen windowsill. It keeps just as long, looks pretty, and is handy for use. To keep it in a vase or glass of water, you basically treat the parsley like cut flowers.
First, I sort out the stems and select the thickest, sturdiest ones. If some of them are skinny, limp, broken or very short, I discard those pieces, or immediately use them. Gather up the selected stems and snip off the cut ends in a bowl of water. If you cut them while they are under water, they will not have an 'air bubble' that can restrict the flow of water up the stem to keep the parsley fresh.
Keep the water level above the bottom of the stems. Put the cut stems in a vase and they should keep well for a week or more. Take a peek at the bottoms of the stems now and then. If they are turning brown take them out and trim them again, under water.
Some people say you can add a little sugar or clear carbonated beverage to the water, but I don't think this is necessary. I haven't tried it. I like to keep mine in a tall skinny clear crystal or glass vase so I can easily see the water level (which will decrease). Make sure the stems are in the water, and trim the stems when they start to get brown on the tips.
What about live plants?
Now, some people will say, "Can't I just keep a potted living Parsley plant on my windowsill?" By all means! If you have the right conditions of temperature and light (It likes about five hours of sunlight a day), and remember to water it on a regular basis, it's a great idea.
Of course you will have to be careful not to cut too many stems and wait for it to grow out. It also needs a deep pot, because the plant develops a long taproot.
Many and various health benefits have been ascribed to parsley from inhibiting tumors to freshening breath.
It is native to the Mediterranean areas of Europe, though most commercially grown parsley now comes from California.
The ancient Greeks considered the plant to be sacred. They used it medicinally, and if it didn't work, they also used it to decorate tombs.
I like it better for decorating plates.
Comments
I had some in the planter near my patio. It seems to survive a little freeze and comes back. Unfortunately it doesn't survive gourmet deer. I try to hide it by planting it between the rosemary bushes, which the deer don't fancy as much.
Yep -- like you I like to munch on the garnish. Your hub made me hungry, though; so I'm off to raid the larder.
"Larder" always sounds to me like a place to keep lard.
Rochelle, you manage to make a rather pedestrian subject both interesting and playful (I love the "I'd rather chew than eschew my parsley" -- touche on that phrase!). Hadn't thought about it, but yes. Parsley has become something of a cliche. And you no longer see it in higher end, more modern restaurants.
I hope it doesn't go the way of butter mints!!
I needed a pedestrian subject to help cover up my previous one. Besides, I'm passionate about my parsley. Thanks for your comments.
Beautiful tribute to parsley! I didn't realize it has such nutritional benefit. My mother makes a kind of parsley pesto for serving on toast or over pasta, and I'm guessing that pesto of hers is pretty-well packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
Then there's tabouli, parsley-lemon-butter sauce, parsleyed new potatoes, or just chomping on a fresh sprig to clear the palate and freshen the breath. Not to mention how beautiful it is in the garden, on its own, or as a companion to fine-leaved plants such as threadleaf coreopsis.
Can you tell how much I love this plant? Thumbs up! And thanks for the tip about cutting the stems under water. I didn't know that.
Thanks Sally,
I thought of adding some recipes. I really like tabbouli. If you use whole cracked wheat, tomatoes onion garlic and lots of parsley-- you can hardly get more good nutrition in a bowl.
Parsley can be uses instead of basil for pesto-- or it can be half and half.
Also while researching this, I found out that some people plant parsley near their tomatoes, because it attracts a wasp that wil eat the larve of those ugly tomato hormworms.
It isn't easy to stat from seed, but potted plants are usually abvilable in garden centers. Once you get it going, it often comes back,
I've had good success with starting parsley from seed, despite my low-life (oops, I mean low-light) conditions. The seed takes about 21 days to germinate, and all it needs is moist seed-starting medium (without being soggy), and a relatively warm place to sit (my kitchen). The big problem for me is how to give it enough light once it germinates, so I time the germination to finish around May 15 (last frost date in my area), and take it outside to fend for itself in its little pots for about 3 weeks. Then it's ready to plant in the ground. Yes, the nurseries have plants much more robust than mine at that time, but I still get a walloping good harvest starting in late summer.
I hope you do make a Hub of recipes. Parsley needs redressing, as many traditional and retro things do, including myself, I think. :)
About parsley coming back, it's a biennial. In its first season (planted from seed) in a temperate climate, it produces lush green growth. After it winters in the ground, it produces a modest amount of greens in the spring, and then sends up an ugly flower stalk, and the greens lose most of their essence. I know you know where I'm going with this...if you start parsley from seed two years in a row, you will always have greens, because it will be reseeding itself, going through its lush periods in the late summer, and its sparse periods of greens but abundance of seed in the early summer.
Whew. Big comment. For sure, you touched a particular love of mine.
What a great Hub. I really liked how you mentionedparsley being considred cliche!! I never knew that, and I have been wondering why I have gone to resturants and not gotten my parsley sprigs... instead they sprinkle carrot shavings around the edge of my plate. lol.
I have to google this term though:
tempura -fried filligree of butterfly wing
I want to see what this looks like!!!! Great Hub again...
THanks! It is time for the parsley cliche to make a comeback!
I never thought of googling that, but when I did I found out I made a spelling error (me?-- Imagine that!)
It came up: "Did you mean: 'tempura -fried filigree of butterfly wing' " and of course , I did.
The only reference was mine, so I suppose I should copyright it.
Many of the chefs use minced parsley to sprinkle around the plate as a finishing touch. No sprig, as you mentioned. I never thought of keeping parsley in a vase as you do until needed for cooking. Good idea!
We always keep our asparagus in an upright position in water placed in the refrigerator until we use it. It keeps much better that way.
That would probably keep the parsley better, too-- but I like to see it on the windowsill, and it reminds me to use it.
Rochelle Frank. Hi. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your hub, with great information and ideas for parsley. We do have it growing in our garden, and eat it fresh from the bush, a lot of the food that I cook always has parsley in it which gives it a wonderful taste and great color on the plate. Thank you. :) :)
Thanks, Oliversmum. This parsley hub has been dormant for awhile, but when I read it again, it was better than I remembered.
DonnaCSmith 3 years ago
I have parsley in my flower bed. Last time i looked it was still green, but we just had a few temps in the teens so I don't know if its still there. I love the flavor and add it to salads and soups.