Category: Parsley

Chimichurri is a bright, vinegary, herb-packed sauce that originated in Argentina and is served with all that grilled beef. It's a really versatile sauce and a close cousin to the Italian Salsa Verde of which I'm equally fond.   In this version I used the  fresh radish tops that came in my CSA recently to replace some of the more typically used herbs and put the tops to good use. ... Read more »

Garlic scape pesto is spicy and fresh and creamy and delicious in a variety of dishes. I make it with either a handful or two of parsley or basil tossed in and a good squeeze of lemon juice.  ... Read more »

--inspired by Cooking in the Moment by Andrea Reusing (this book is a great investment!)   There are many variations for this herby sauce that improves anything it touches. It is a bit richer and more complex than the Italian-style salsa verde I frequently make. I particularly like this herb combination (parsley, tarragon, dill) but play around with different ratios and herb combinations including basil and mint, if you'd like.   You can chop everything by hand (as I did above) or process in a food processor, it will be saucier/looser if you process. I kept the above version a bit drier (less oil) so I could use it as a sandwich spread as well. I usually use the processor but my knives had just been sharpened and it was a joy to chop all those herbs!   This makes a lot of sauce but I doubt you'll have trouble finding ways to use it.  It is particularly good with poached, baked or roasted fish, boiled potatoes and/or carrots, turnips, summer and winter squash, etc.... Read more »

  This is a sort of super simplified cassoulet-like dish but really so much simpler that I'm not sure the reference is legitimate. I was in a hurry the night I made this and decided against sautéing the onion and garlic separately and just added it raw to the beans and herbs. It turned out mellow and rich and sweet so you can save yourself that step. So if your beans are already cooked this takes 5 minutes to put together and another 35-45 to bake. I tend to air heavily on the bean side and light on the meat side but by all means add more sausages or other meat (leftover pork or duck of any kind would be great) if you'd like.   Variations Make a vegetarian version by omitting the meat and adding 1 teaspoon of smoked or regular paprika and top the beans with plenty of coarse bread crumbs and a drizzle of olive oil. ... Read more »

--adapted from Roots by Diane Morgan   Diane has brilliant combinations of vegetables in this book that are well-suited to CSA/local cooking. I highly recommend picking up a copy of the book. This salad is a wonderful, cool weather treat full of crunch and fresh flavors.  Use a vegan mayonnaise or yogurt to make the dish vegan. ... Read more »

--loosely adapted from Bon Appetit   This is my idea of a perfect winter dish. The version above uses Gill's Golden Pippin (a very small and flavorful acorn variety) and delicata. ... Read more »

Lentils get overlooked a bit in the summer but I especially love salads with small green lentils in the summer. You can make them ahead of time and then have a robust, room temperature dish for whenever you need it. ... Read more »

  This is a straightforward preparation for a delicious late summer meal. Serve with a big green salad or some corn on the cob or just good, crusty bread and you're set.... Read more »

This is a childhood favorite dish that I have incorporated into my own repertoire. I still love eating this at my mother’s and since she grows all the Anaheim peppers it’s a regular dish. Make a simple cucumber salad and call it dinner. I don’t know where she originally got the idea but it’s an unusual and wonderful dish. She makes it with a whole bunch of parsley.  ... Read more »

This is one of my favorite ways to eat parsnips. It takes about 10 minutes—start to finish! Scale it up as needed.   Serves 2... Read more »

--adapted from David Lebovitz   This is by far my favorite version of this classic Levantine Arab Salad. It's mostly herbs with just a little bulgur. With the freshest of herbs and a good sharp knife you have everything you need for this classic dish.   Serves 6-8... Read more »

This is the way sweet red peppers are prepared in many parts of Italy. It’s very simple and very good. This dish keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days so make extra and enjoy it for a while. And use however much parsley and garlic you like. It’s really a matter of taste.... Read more »

This is so delicious and you can use the either or parsley or cilantro or both--maybe my favorite version. Just make sure you toast the pumpkin seeds first. It doesn't have any cheese in it but is rich from the large amount of pumpkin seeds.   I use a food processor for this but if you don’t have one you can make a slightly less uniform version by finely mincing/chopping everything by hand.   You can use this pesto as a spread on crostini or sandwiches or stir it into scrambled eggs. It's delicious mixed with either plain yogurt and/or mayonnaise for a dip or sauce for roasted vegetables, meats or fish. You can dilute it with water, cream, more oil and/or lemon juice) for a dressing for grain or bean salads. …And of course you can serve it with pasta like basil pesto. Be sure to thin it with a bit of hot, starchy pasta cooking water in that case.  ... Read more »

  Simple, delicious and beautiful on a hot day, any day, really. You can use other summer squash in place of the zucchini.  I began making this dish for my family when I was in high school and it's remained a standby.  ... Read more »

--adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sam Tamimi   You'll be amazed how much of this you can eat. It's just such a winning combination, even in its simplified form. You can certainly add other vegetables to the mix and you can use any kind of onion--just use lots.   Most any winter squash or pumpkin will work for this recipe. If you’re loathe to peel and trim the squash raw you can bake the whole squash, seeds and all for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees and then remove it, let cool a little and then peel and cut—a bit easier to handle this way.... Read more »

--inspired by Saveur   This is so refreshing a delicious.  ... Read more »

  This is a very adaptable salad (template). Substitute vegetables and herbs as you wish just be sure to chop everything quite small. This is a good dinner salad on a warm night especially if you add cooked beans, cheese and/or toasted seeds or nuts or cooked chicken.   This makes a lot of salad so feel free halve the recipe. I load mine up with herbs—mint, parsley, cilantro, chives and thyme. The more the better!... Read more »

I especially love cilantro made into a sauce. I made this one day when I had a bedraggled looking bunch in the fridge and it made the dinner. It's delicious on any grains or fish or with steamed or roasted veggies. It's lovely over roasted or boiled new potatoes and/or carrots with some thinly sliced spring onions. It's a dip, a sandwich spread, and a dressing.   You can substitute parsley for the cilantro for an equally vibrant sauce or mix the two; just discard the parsley stems. You can also vary the sauce by adding fresh hot peppers (jalapeno, serrano, etc.) or a chunk of sweet onion or a pinch or two of cumin. You can thin it with water or cream. You can make it smooth and uniformly green in a food processor or quickly chop it by hand, as above. [caption id="attachment_12470" align="aligncenter" width="660"] A version with parsley instead of cilantro.[/caption]... Read more »

  --adapted from Around my French Table by Dorie Greenspan   These are simple to make if you have a food processor. It takes 5 minutes to make the batter and a bit longer to fry them but they are so very good. These are enjoyed in Southwest France and I’m sure with variations of herbs and greens, but most typically they are made with chard, parsley and chives. I change up the ratio depending on how much chard I have and how green I want them to be. You can reduce the milk and flour and increase the greens for super green, light pancakes. This recipe makes a lot of pancakes so halve it or make the whole batch and just save some batter for the next day.   They also keep and freeze well and make great snacks. You can experiment with different flours and combinations of flours if you’d like. Half whole wheat flour or whole spelt works well.... Read more »

--adapted from Cooking From an Italian Garden by Paola Scaravelli & Jon Cohen   This is a fun side dish--the combination of the cooked celery, tomatoes, garlic and parsley is delicious. It's good with a frittata or even over pasta or quinoa or some such.... Read more »