Parsley

• A highly underappreciated herb, parsley is extremely versatile and is one of the most mineral-, vitamin-, and antioxidant-dense foods you can eat.

• Will keep in a plastic bag in the fridge for a week or more.

using the “bouquet method” and filling a glass jar with an inch of cold water, taking off the rubber band around the parsley and placing the ends of the stems in the water. Replace water daily and store in a shady, cool place in your kitchen away from ripening fruit.

• We love straight parsley salads with a strong dressing of garlic, anchovy, lemon juice and olive oil. We also love salsa verde (Italian parsley pesto). Or simply pick the leaves off the stems and chop them before tossing with roasted vegetables, adding to a salad, or baking them in a frittata.

• We use fresh parsley to layer flavor into so many things we cook. Add it in with onions when cooking hashes, stir-fries, sauces, soups, stews and periodically add more in while cooking. Add to marinates, or directly into ground meat for more flavorful meatballs. Add fresh to salads and dressings.  Don’t forget that the stems of most herbs taste like the leaf, but just a little more bitterness, so if you don’t want to eat it right away, you can store in the freezer for future bases to stocks.