Bought fresh parsley for the first time !

Wanted to make a tomato pesto and used the food processor, the leaves didn't get that finely ground, though. Wonder if a food mill or spiece grinder would have been better?

also, what else do you use fresh parsley for ?

Hi, Moose. What was the method you used to make the tomato pesto?

I use parsley for all kinds of things. Often, I just sprinkle it on dinner to give it a fresh herb flavor. It also goes in my basil pesto and ginger remoulade as a sauce for fish. It's great on just about anything.

Oh Oh Oh! I know this one!

I am a huge parsley fan, and use it for a lot things.

One of my favorite ways to use a whole bunch of it is "chimichurri sauce".

It's chopped and mixed with garlic and oil and other stuff and is HEAVENLY over steak, just before serving.

Here's a link to one recipe http://www.asadoargentina.com/parsley-garlic-chimichurri-recipe/ but you will find many. Adapt the recipe to what you like.

Lee

Got Garlic, I just ran it through the food processor. Is there another way? Qsis, I also got that recipe online and want to use it !!!!

chocolate moose said:

Wanted to make a tomato pesto and used the food processor, the leaves didn't get that finely ground, though. Wonder if a food mill or spiece grinder would have been better?

also, what else do you use fresh parsley for ?

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You might try mincing the parsley (& garlic) by hand first. Add it to the rest of the ingredients in the FP, run it on low & scrape down the bowl from time to time.

I don't search for recipes with parsley, but it pops up in recipes pretty often. One of my favorites is to boil potatoes in salted water, then saute them for a couple minutes in butter, garlic, and parsley.

Many, many uses. As Robs mentioned, it pops up very often... soups/stews, homemade tomato sauce, roasted veggies, potatoes, chicken, salads, pasta etc., etc.

Here are some ideas for Gremolata:

http://becksposhnosh.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-make-gremolata.html

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-gremolata.htm

CaliforniaCook said:

You might try mincing the parsley (& garlic) by hand first.

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That's what I do, CC. I love fresh parsley on potatoes, rice pilaf and scallop or shrimp dishes with stuffing. It's soooo much better than dried in those dishes, although I do keep dried parsley on hand.

I use fresh parsley in many, many dishes -- just about every soup, stew, etc., that I ever make. It's as ubiquitous as salt and pepper!

BTW, I much prefer Italian (a.k.a. flat leaf) parsley to the frilly kind that is sometimes used to decorate plates of food. Always rinse it well, and pick out any yellow or dead leaves. Also, it looks a bit like cilantro, but the two herbs are not interchangeable, so be careful when you buy it.

Fisher's Mom said:

That's what I do, CC. I love fresh parsley on potatoes, rice pilaf and scallop or shrimp dishes with stuffing. It's soooo much better than dried in those dishes, although I do keep dried parsley on hand.

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Same here, FM. One of those indoor herb (etc) grow thingies aired on QVC recently. I was so tempted; but it would be a bit much for one person. (I am still thinking about the salad & tomato one though.)

I scored an aerogarden at Goodwill last year and I've had fresh basil ever since. I've been tempted by the parsley, but I'm spoiled with the abundance of basil and can't think of giving it up yet.

i don't even know if i like basil

I didn't either, moose, til I had a caprese salad. Now I'm hooked. It's a good way to try fresh basil for the first time.

Yup - Italian flat-leaf parsley is the ONLY type to buy or grow for cooking/eating. The frilly types are only good for plate garnishing - have very little flavor & the texture is obviously bristly.

What's nice about growing it is that it's not only relatively cold-hardy, but also biennial, so you get a bit of a nice spring crop the next year before it bolts to seed.

Another bonus is that the plant is a host to the Swallowtail butterfly, one of many butterflies losing habitat on a nearly daily basis. So when I plant it, I always make sure I plant enough for me & the caterpillars - lol!

I use mostly fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, etc. I grow my own for the most part but occasionally buy it fresh. I have used an inexpensive coffee grinder as it does cut it finer than my food processor does.

chocolate moose said:

i don't even know if i like basil

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Try some pesto -- it's an Italian thing, usually a mixture of finely minced basil, sometimes a little parsley, olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, and salt and pepper, finely chopped in the blender or food processor. It's amazing on pasta, on tomatoes, on sandwiches, etc. The commercial stuff in the market(usually near the refrigerated pasta) is pretty good.

our market sells fresh parsley in bunch the size that would feed at least one elephant, mebbe two . . .

out of the waste not want not theory I tried the following and it worked really well:

wash the bunch, shake and dry as you can get it

chop with a knife to sprinkle size chunks.

spread thinly on a cookie sheet & pop in the freezer. use a spatula to scrap up the frozen bits quickly into a zip lock bag.

the key is getting it dry - if it's wet it freezes to the cookie sheet and yer' toast. keeps / tastes / works amazing well.

Here's a great recipe from Jaime Oliver using parsley as a sort of salad topping for an omelette: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article2531478.ece I add cheese to mine. The topping goes great on pretty much any omelette, chicken or fish.

4 small waxy potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large free-range eggs
2 x 60g good-quality
Spanish chorizo sausages, cut into 1cm-thick slices
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil
A bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked

Preheat the oven to full whack, or get the grill nice and hot. Put the potatoes into a saucepan of boiling, salted water, simmer them until cooked, then drain in a colander and leave them to steam dry. Beat the eggs with a fork in a large mixing bowl, season well with salt and pepper, and put to one side.

Heat a 20cm non-stick, ovenproof frying pan. Add the chorizo slices and the potato chunks. The chorizo will start to sizzle, releasing all of its tasty oils and spices. After a couple of minutes, when everything has turned lightly golden and crisp, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and put to one side. Sprinkle the rosemary leaves into the hot fat; as soon as they hit the pan, they will start to crisp. Immediately pour the beaten eggs on top, then add the potatoes and chorizo and spread out everything evenly. Place the whole pan in the preheated oven, or under the grill, until the omelette is golden brown on top and just cooked through in the middle.

While the omelette is cooking, put the shallots into a bowl with the lemon juice, some salt and pepper and a glug of olive oil. Toss the shallots, pinching them with your fingertips to soften them slightly, then mix in the parsley leaves. Sprinkle a little on top of the omelette, and serve.

Mmmm that looks good, Jay! Easy topping!

Tell me, do you pinch the shallots with your fingertips to make them soft???

Lee

QSis said:

Tell me, do you pinch the shallots with your fingertips to make them soft???

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Naa. Just sliced real thin.

Here is a recipe similar to what I grew up with that I love!

Mediterranean Burger

1 lb. ground beef (or any meat you like)
1 cup flat leaf parsley
1 cup onion
1 jalepeno minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp 7 spices
Burger buns


Tahini Mayonnaise Sauce
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove minced garlic
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs tahini paste
1/4 tsp paprika (optional)

Onion Parsley Garnish
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 tbs sumac
1/2 tsp salt

In a food processor blend the onion and parsley until well blended, then add the ground meat, salt and 7 spices and blend until well combined. Form meat into 4 or 6 burgers and cook on grill or in a pan for 7-8 minutes. For the tahini mayonnaise sauce in a bowl combine the mayonnaise, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and paprika and set aside for topping. For onion parsley garnish in a bowl combine the onions, parsley, salt and sumac. To assemble the burgers, toast the buns and top both sides with tahini mayonnaise, add burger and top with onion/parsley then top with the other bun. Serve with kabeese and tomatoes.

Here is another version:

ARMENIAN HAMBURGERS
1 lb. ground lamb
1 lb. ground beef
2 c. chopped onion
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1 c. green pepper, chopped
3/4 c. V-8 or tomato juice
Salt & pepper
Mix all the ingredients. Refrigerate for several hours. Broil or cook on outdoor grill. Great with pilaf and salad.

garlic and parsley go hand in hand. i almost always add parsley to garlic dishes because it helps cut down on garlic breath. look at the ingredients of those little breath freshener pills. it's largely parsley oil.

moose, check out the fronch version called persillade: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persillade

i've found it goes with most seafoods, especially raw or strongly flavoured fish or shell fish.

Parsley is a key ingredient in the wonderful all-purpose Argentine chimichurri sauce: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chimichurri-Sauce-107159

Or try this, which is a great warm-weather dish: Chicken in Green Sauce

ChowderMan said:

our market sells fresh parsley in bunch the size that would feed at least one elephant, mebbe two . . .

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I grow my own but when it's out of season here and I have to buy those big bunches, here's what I do.

Cut the stems like you do for fresh flowers, then put the parsley (or basil, or other herbs) in a glass of water. I leave them handy on the kitchen counter. Just pull out any individual stems if they start to yellow. Change the water every day or two. They'll keep a lot longer than they will in the fridge. Some (especially basil) will actually grow roots!

this is an exciting thread !!! thank you all !!!

Try making tabbouli. It is great and contains bulgar wheat, parsley, green onion, tomatoes, olive oil and lemon juice. Serve it with pita bread or in leaves of lettuce that are rolled up to hold it. Soak the wheat in the lemon juice not water. I don't have a recipe handy since I have not made it since I became citris intolerant.