Poor parsley. Its songmates sage, rosemary and thyme are all so much more evocative — each one brings a scent, even a feeling, to mind, while the ear just elides parsley. And who doesn’t love basil? Even cilantro inspires fear and loathing, at least. Parsley’s barely thought of as an herb at all.
In American cooking, parsley’s most frequent role is as an absolutely expendable extra — a mere garnish. Picture any of millions of diner dishes with a sprig of parsley, valiantly curly and bright, consigned to a corner with an equally arbitrary half-moon of orange. You might eat the orange slice; you definitely don’t touch the parsley.
But you should. Just not as a sad afterthought of a garnish.
The ubiquitous herb looks and smells and tastes like freshness incarnate, full of verdant color and leafy life. Add to salads, toss it in smoothies, use it in dips.
For nine ways to use fresh parsley, read Wednesday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Style.