Parsley

[Susan W]

Parsley is one of those herbs many think of as a garnish on a dinner plate. As with other herbs, I am on a learning curve on growing and using it. I do grow more curly than flat for the market. It's never been a huge seller, but perhaps more people using it, or mine is looking pretty with with cooler and wet weather. Some are getting it for juicing as it has good health benefits.

People cooking are asking for flat. (juicers aren't as picky). When trying to figure this out, hear that the cooking shows use flat. Yesterday at the market one of the local chefs stopped by, and I asked, of course. His comment was that curly looks too much like that garnish at Dennys, and he has been led to believe flat has better flavor. FWIW, he uses about 3 lbs/week at his restaurant!

On a note about growing, I think some of the starts of flat I got this spring were already 1 yr old, as they are going into the flower stalk. Not good!

[rainbowgardener]

I have grown curly and flat and I like the curly better. I like the crispness, flat is more like limp leaves.

It may not be the second year for your parsley... I have some parsley and some carrots flowering that I KNOW are in their first year, because I started them from seed. I don't know how/ why that happens, but apparently it does.

[Marlingardener]

Susan, I do a lot of cooking and a lot of cooking with herbs. Flat leaf (aka Italian) parsley has more flavor. I grow both the flat and the curly--the curly because it garnishes better, and if I want to put a bit torn lightly or rough-chopped fresh on a dish, the curly just "acts" better. However, the flat can't be beat for a nice hearty parsley flavor--I use it exclusively in parsley butter, stock, and any dish that calls for parsley in the dish's preparation.
The local chef

has been led to believe flat has better flavor

--didn't he taste it to find out? I'd have my doubts about that "chef".

[Susan W]

Agreed that flat leaf parsley may have a heartier flavor. Ease of cutting may have a factor (son who cooks mentioned that). It would be curious to know what the commercial growers find easier to grow and harvest.

As for the chef mentioned, he's a pretty good guy. He is 'owner/operator' of a successful mid-sized restaurant and adjoining watering hole (called 'next door'). I've dealt with him before delivering a few things, but we both know I can't do his needed volume. I am just guessing his comment about curly parsley just looking like that stuff they put on your plate at Dennys could be from chef, oops, culinary school. His visit to our market, actually near his restaurant, was not for it. As it happens a new few editor with the local rag has a plan. He's taking a known local chef to a market, shopping for a small dinner. Then go back to wherever and prepare the meal for themselves/family, paper guy writes it up. BTW, he did get parsley for his dinner, then had to get a bunch of lemon verbena that he remembered from my inventory (perhaps a beverage planned with that dinner?!)

[innercitygarden]

Oops- I don't know what this new "quick reply" means...I have my pot of flat leaf which has always been my preference for all uses...I let some plants grow their flowers and I'm wondering about seeds from these (delicious) plants. Maybe wrong forum, but the tiny flowers are gone and now I have clusters of a kind of tiny fruit I guess- split in the middle. When are these seeds ripe? I want to pull them up and sample the parsley root, but I also want to collect some seeds. I have younger plants growing around the edges for cooking now, but at some point I'm going to run out of room. The older plants were planted late last year. Any advice?