Updated on April 4, 2022 by Elizabeth
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Small Veggies with Fruit: kale, mini red potatoes, broccoli, radishes, scallions, lettuce or spring mix, parsley, Fuji apples, and Granny Smith apples.
Large Veggies with Fruit: beets, chard, baby bok choy, kale, mini red potatoes, broccoli, radishes, scallions, lettuce or spring mix, parsley, chives or rosemary, Fuji apples, and Granny Smith apples.
Fruit only: Pink Lady apples, Granny Smith apples, Crimson Crisp apples, and a fruit jar.
Trio: boneless chicken breasts, ground beef, top or bottom round roast, bacon, pork chops, and sausage.
Chicken Only: whole chicken, legs, boneless breasts, and broccoli rabe sausage.
Parsley is one of the most commonly used herbs in cooking. There are two varieties: flat leaf (Italian) or curly leaf. Flat leaf parsley is often confused with cilantro due to their similar appearance. Both the leaves and the stem are edible. Chewing on a sprig of parsley after finishing a meal can help cleanse your palate and freshen your breath, which is why you often find it garnishing a dish at the restaurant. It can also be used as a “finishing herb” — meaning it is added to a dish near the end of cooking. Parsley is native to the Mediterranean region and was first cultivated over 2,000 years ago. Parsley is part of the Umbellifers family, along with celery, carrots, and cumin.
Do I have parsley or cilantro?
When in doubt, just taste it! You’d be surprised at how often we taste a sprig of something as we’re going through the fields when we forgot to label the row and can’t quite tell what’s growing….
Flat leaf parsley tends to have pointy serrated bright green leaves. It has a fairly mild smell and a bit of a grassy taste.
Cilantro has rounded serrated leaves. Lighter green leaves. Stronger, more citrusy aroma (or soapy aroma if you fall in the cilantro-tastes-like-soap gene pool).
How to store:
Trim the ends of the parsley just a bit and place in a jar of water in the fridge with a plastic bag over the top. Or place in a plastic baggie in your fridge. Use within a week.
Substitutes:
Chervil, cilantro, and celery leaves
How to prep:
Wash and dry just before use. Chop leaves and stems to desired size.
Pairs well with:
Oregano, dill, garlic, basil, chicken, pasta, salmon, yogurt, potatoes, beef, carrots, parsnip, couscous, eggs, tomatoes, fish, pork, beef, lemon, cucumber, mint, lamb.
Best uses:
Soup
Pizza topping
Pesto
Smoothie
Sauces
Noodle or Rice Bowl
Juice
Hummus
Salsa
Salads
Dressing or Dip
Vegetable stock
Tabbouleh
Compound Butter
Sandwiches or Wraps
Marinade for Grilling
Chimichurri
Guacamole
5 ways to use parsley stems:
Recipes often use up parsley leaves, leaving the still flavorful stems behind 🙁 Here are a few ideas to make use of those leafless stems.
1. Flavor sauces, soups and stews.
2. Chop finely and add into dips like salsa, guacamole or hummus.
3. Juice them.
4. Grind them up with a food processor and use as a spice like you would with dried herbs
5. Add them to oil or vinegar and let it infuse for a few days
Freezing Parsley
Remove stems and wash the parsley leaves. Place in an ice cube tray and fill with water.
Freeze. Pop cubes into a labeled freezer-safe bag and freeze. Use within 6 months.
Dehydrating Parsley
Remove stems from parsley. Lay on a paper towel-lined glass plate. Cover with another
paper towel. Be careful not to overcrowd the plate. Microwave for 2-3 minutes until dried. Crinkle dried parsley into a Mason Jar and store 6 months
Recipes that use fresh parsley:
Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce – use chimichurri as a condiment; it’s not just for steak
Garlic Butter – says for steaks, but I use herbed butter on anything and everything
White Bean and Garlic Scape Dip
Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips with Chives and Parsley
Roasted Salmon with Herbs & Yogurt
Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Orzo Pasta
Winter Squash and Savoy Cabbage Gratin with Garlic Crema
Carrot, Radish, and Ginger Salad
Cold French Lentil and Kohlrabi Salad
Quinoa Salad with Hazelnuts, Apple, and Dried Cranberries
