The other day I was having lunch with my dear friend Ruth, and my sandwich was served with the teeniest bit of parsley ever to adorn a plate. I’m talking a bit of a leaf. It was so small it wouldn’t have been noticed except for the bright green color that broke up the stark white plate. Maybe there was a parsley shortage in the kitchen, or the chef forgot the garnish altogether and the server didn’t know what to do. When in doubt, add parsley, Ruth always says.

Besides decorating plates in restaurants, parsley is one of the most versatile of herbs, and I use it freely (like salt) and sometimes forget to describe its use in recipes. (My family cookbook might need updating after this column, now that I think about it.)  Although I enjoy using fresh parsley profusely, I have a huge container of dried parsley from one of those restaurant supply stores for reconstituting in soups, making garlic bread, and sprinkling on boiled potatoes and such. When in doubt, add parsley.

There are two kinds of herb parsley: the garnish-style curly leaf, and the flat leaf Italian parsley. According to Wikipedia, “parsley is a key ingredient in several West Asian salads, e.g., tabbouleh (the national dish of Lebanon). Persillade is mixture of chopped garlic and chopped parsley in the French cuisine. Gremolata is a traditional accompaniment to the Italian veal stew, Ossobuco alla milanese, a mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest.” I guess many countries have discovered Ruth’s simple cooking lesson: When in doubt, add parsley.

One of my favorite uses is eating fresh parsley after a particularly strong onion or garlic-flavored meal, or even coffee.  The chlorophyll (Actizol) in the bright green leaves helps dissipate the bad breath remnants of those strong foods. Remember Clorets gum? Hmm, maybe Ruth’s right: When in doubt, add parsley.

Happy cookbooking,

Matilda

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