Chervil, an Often Forgotten Herb

Chervil is a charming herb that is often left out of gardens simply because it is not well known. Chervil looks like a more feathery version of parsley and has a subtle almost licorice flavor. It adds a great flavor to omelets and green salads, as long as stronger flavored herbs do not overpower it. Chervil tastes the best when fresh, or only slightly cooked, because the cooking or drying process will result in a loss of flavor. The chervil itself will rarely grow more than a foot tall and is easy to grow. It looks very delicate and dainty in your garden, but is a hardy annual with the ability to withstand some frost. Chervil is also a self-sowing herb, although it is slow to germinate.

To grow chervil in your garden you will want an area with partial shade, particularly in hotter areas, although it will grow in full sun. The soil should be light and moderately rich, just about any soil that you have prepared for growing flowers, herbs or vegetables will be sufficient for this rugged herb. Chervil will grow readily through direct seeding; simply sow the seeds in the garden bed where you plan to keep them as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. The only thing you need to avoid doing is covering the seeds. When the seedlings come up you should thin the seedlings out so that the young plants stand four to six inches apart. If you have hot mid-summers then your chervil, might go to seed and fade away, however it will often sell sow a new batch. To make the initial crop last longer, I suggest interpolating the chervil with a bushier plant like basil, which will offer some shade. In mild climates, you can keep chervil going year round in the garden, even through the winter. It also does well as a cold frame crop or grown in containers indoors year round.

To harvest chervil, just snip away some upper foliage as needed. Regular harvesting can also help delay the chervil going to seed and fading away. With the ease of self-seeding, I often find myself picking small clumps of chervil that have come up in the wrong place for my use. Chervil is best used when fresh from the garden. You can dry chervil by cutting the leaves before the flowers open, however it will lose a good amount of its flavor. The most effective method of preserving the chervil's flavor for future use is through freezing a pureed blend of the herb in ice cube trays for use in drinks, stews and sauces as needed. However, even the frozen puree cannot match the flavor of fresh chervil in a summer salad.