PARSLEY
Parsley is one of the most used herbs in the world, and it has a nice grassy, slightly celeriac-like flavor, and is also packed with nutritious molecules. It is not only used in cooking, but also for garnishing due to its esthetical beauty and color. For some reason, you don't see that much parsley being used in home cooking, even though it is really a good herb to work with. It fits with both fish, meat, poultry, and soups, so it is very versatile indeed.
Parsley is a Mediterranean herb, and it is still used there in very large amounts. Interestingly, parsley has been used for medicinal purposes before people actually began to eat it. Ancient cultures also used parsley in religious and mystical ceremonies. Nowadays it's a part of the classic herb mixes like bouquet garni, gremolata, spanish picada, or fines herbes. So you can pretty much use parsley for anything.
There are two common types of parsley available on the market. The curly leaf parsley, and the flat leaf Italian parsley. The latter variation (see picture above) is less bitter and has more fragrance, although it is not that beatiful to look at - in case you go for these qualities. When you buy parsley make sure it's fresh - don't go for the dried one because it's far from acceptable in flavor and in looks. But there' s more. The age of parsley also determines how it tastes. Curly leaf parsley transforms itself from mild tasting to woody tasting herb as time goes by, while the flat leaf variant goes from very parsley-like to more woody flavor. It's good to know when you try to match parsley with other ingredients in your dish!
Choose fresh, crispy, non wilted leaves and make sure they don't have any strange or soft spots on them. Store the parsley in refrigerator and don't cut it off the stalks until you are going to use it - otherwise, the loss of flavor and vibrancy will be notable. Before use, wash the parsley in cold water to remove any soil and grit.
Nutritional values of parsley include high amount of vitamin A, C, and K, and it also contains some iron and folate, being low on calories at the same time. It is therefore a great source for your health, giving a good dose of antioxidants.
Parsley can be added with good effect to all the following ingredients: chicken and other poultry, fish, some meat dishes, eggs (try scrambled eggs with parsley - it's simple and good), mushrooms (sautéed mushrooms with butter and parsley are delicious), and seafood. On the vegetable side, parsley combines well with tomatoes, zucchini, aubergine, potatoes, peas, and also with lentils.
The only thing you should be careful about when eating this fantastically simple herb is if you have any kidney stone or gall bladder stone problems - parsley contains a substantial amount of oxalates that can worsen your condition if you get too much of them.