All things Parsley

All things Parsley. Here are two things I make with Parsley and one I am about to try.

Photo from https://treadingmyownpath.com/2017/11/23/plant-based-pesto-recipes/ Parsley and Walnut Pesto

I have an abundance of parsley in the garden at the moment, flat and curley leaf. They have self seeded over the years and pop up now in the most unusual places. Whilst the guinea pig will eat a few stalks, I do take some into work and pop some in the compost, I tend to leave it go as they do make a nice green border plant.

Parsley is incredibly good for you, packed full of “…Vitamin C and Vitamin A. It is especially high in Vitamin K, which is strongly tied to heart health and healthy bones…” (Herbs with Rosalie she has a whole list of other herbs and recipes. Note: Parsley is high in Vit K, like a lot of leafy greens, careful if you are on blood thinners as it can have a counter affect on the drug (this info from my mum as advised by her GP). My daughter read an article that if you rub parsley on your skin it keeps the mozzies away. Not sure how successful this was as the mozzies just love her regardless of what decoy she uses. She is great to stand next to in summer as the mozzies will leave you alone!

So here are 3 ways to use up some Parsley

1 : PARSLEY AND WALNUT PESTO. This is on my try list while I wait for my basil to grow. Pesto’s can be successfully frozen so if you make up a big batch, pop into little jars and freeze for later. Here’s a link to Treading My Own Path for a Parsley and Walnut pesto; she also has a carrot top version; a coriander one (uugh, coriander, just do not like it ) & the usual basil. Note, you can get savoury yeast from the bulk food shop at Moana Natural Health & Organics, am sure you can get it from most.

2: TABBOULEH with Couscous Parsley and Mint. One of our favourites.

Couscous is so easy to make. Place 1 cup couscous into heatproof bowl, add a good drizzle of oil, 1/2 tsp of savoury yeast/stock powder, zest of 1/2 lemon. Stir. Then add 1 cup boiling water, stir. Cover with a plate and leave for a couple of minutes. Done. fluff up with a fork. To this add handful of chopped cherry tomatoes, a good handful of chopped mint, couple handfuls of chopped parsley, 1 or 2 sliced spring onions, add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and another good drizzle of oil. Give it a good stir and taste and adjust accordingly. Any leftovers keep for a few days in the fridge and are great for lunches with some added protein (either eggs/meat/fish/lentils/beans). You can swap out the couscous with quinoa, cooked barley, cracked wheat.

3 : CRUNCHY PARSLEY DUMPLINGS to put on top of Casseroles and bake 20 mins prior to serving, HOT oven 220C – 1 cup SR flour, 40g butter, 95ml milk,1/4 cup chopped parsley, 30g grated parmesan. Rub butter into flour, Stir in parsley and 20g of cheese, Add milk, stir in with knife, use a cutting motion.until it starts to come together. It is sticky.In the bowl, using a fork make into 9 mounds (there are 3 of us, and 3 dumplings just looks more on your plate than 2 larger ones!) they will double in size once baked, drop each on the top of the casserole, leaving a bit of space in between, top with remaining cheese and pop in the oven while you set up ready to eat. yum
Of course there is a bit of chopped parsley in most meals, and sprinkled on the top to serve.

Drying herbs in your microwave

Pretty simple really.

Pick your fresh herbs. Place between 2 sheets of absorbent kitchen paper. Whack it in the microwave and dry in short bursts of about 40 seconds. This will vary depending on your herb, and your microwave.

Of course there is the other way of drying in a bunch, hung up to dry somewhere out of the way and out of the dust. I  dry that way when it is a hot dry day, generally during the summer here in Australia.

However, I am not always that organised, so if I need dried herbs in a hurry, this is where the microwave comes in handy.

  Oregano

 

  Sage

I also have an abundance of mint,  chives and parsley at the moment so they are all getting dried and popped into jars.

Basil I freeze to pop into sauces as I don’t tend to get enough to dry.

 

Comfrey Ointment

The comfrey in my garden is growing really well at the moment as we have had a glorious Spring, with good rainfalls.  The bees are loving the beautiful pink flowers

I have wanted to make comfrey ointment for a while.  I vaguely remember my mum using comfrey ointment on our bruises when we were little.  I have more recently read that comfrey has anti-inflammatory properties,  as well as healing the skin very quickly, so am pondering it’s uses for psoriatic arthritis…more research coming up!

I have an ointment recipe that I have wanted to make for a while, it is very basic, see below for details, however  I had been put off making it as I had read somewhere that it had been listed as a poison and I put the project on the back burner  until I had more time to look into it.  After doing some further research online I found this article by Rebecca, who is a beekeeper and gardener who lives in Kansas, you can have a look at her article here:  comfrey uses and remedies .  This article has satisfied me me that comfrey is OK to use as a topical lotion.   Not really recommended for internal use for humans.  Of course, it goes without saying to do your own research and then make an informed decision from there to satisfy yourself prior to using or making anything “medicinal” with herbs from you garden.

Just want to get you to think about perhaps making your own products to put on your skin which saves you money, as well as increasing your awareness of what is actually going on your skin or your children’s skin.  Taking back a bit of control.  This article has an ointment recipe that is a bit more involved, as well as information on the comfrey’s properties.

GARDEN USES:   A few leaves of comfrey go into the bunch of greens for my chickens to pick at during the day.  I pull off leaves and tear up and drop on the garden beds as it is said to be really good for the soil, the roots go very deep into the ground and bring up the minerals into the leaves.   Some goes into the compost bins to help speed up the composting process, and I also have made comfrey tea for the garden.

Comfrey Ointment  – not sure where I got this recipe from as it is written on a scrap of paper , so not sure if off a TV program or from a magazine/book.  I used to do a lot of reading of Grass Roots magazine so could be from there.

80 g comfrey leaves, chopped finely

50 g beeswax, grated and

220ml oil

Pour oil into pan, add comfrey leaves.  Bring to boil , reduce to simmer for 1 and half hours.

Add grated beeswax to glass bowl, pour strained liquid onto beeswax to dissolve, stir and it will thicken (on top of some cold water if in a hurry).  Pour into glass containers.  Lasts about 12 months in the fridge.

Ensure you label appropriately and clearly. Not for internal use.