Recipes from a Desert Herb Garden: Parsley

Many Americans think of parsley as mere garnishment; the curly sprig on our restaurant plate right next to the lemon wedge, or the handful of greenery tossed onto a bland looking dish to give it some color. In Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, however, parsley plays a much more prominent role in their cuisines.

In Italy, gremolata, a mixture of parsley, lemon peel and garlic is used as a condiment for hearty dishes like osso buco. Bouquet garni, a combination of bay leaf, thyme sprigs and parsley tied together in cheesecloth for easy retrieval from the pot, is used as a flavoring agent in French soups and stews. The French also utilize a mixture of parsley and garlic called persillade (persil is French for parsley) to flavor many dishes including meats, potatoes and vegetables.

I add breadcrumbs to this recipe for salmon persillade for crunch and employ Dijon mustard to bond the mixture to the fish. You can also use this recipe with chicken breasts and pork or lamb chops.

Salmon Persillade

Persillade:
3 large cloves garlic
1cup (packed) parsley leaves
� cup panko ( Japanese breadcrumbs) or regular unseasoned breadcrumbs

Combine all ingredients in food processor until parsley and garlic are finely chopped and incorporated with the breadcrumbs. The mixture will be on the moist side.

2 lb wild Alaskan salmon fillet, preferably center cut
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Fleur de sel* or kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the salmon in a baking pan that has been liberally sprayed with oil. Paint mustard evenly onto fillet. Press persillade lightly and evenly into the salmon. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 4-6

*Fleur de sel is French sea salt. This is a French recipe, n'est pas?

Parsley and new potatoes would be the perfect compliment to this salmon dish.

Parsley New Potatoes

1 � lbs. red creamer potatoes, or fingerling potatoes
1/3 cup chopped parsley
3 Tablespoons butter
� teaspoon Fleur de sel or kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Put a pot with enough water to cover potatoes on to boil.

Meanwhile, wash potatoes and if you want to be fancy, peel a strip of skin off around the middle of each potato for a two-tone effect.

When the water boils add the potatoes and cook until fork tender, about 8-10 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Do not add salt to the cooking water!

Drain potatoes. Melt the butter in the pot you cooked the potatoes in and add parsley. Return potatoes to pot, add salt and pepper and gently stir until the potatoes are coated with butter and parsley. Serve warm.

Serves 4-6

Tabbouleh, a salad of bulgur, parsley and mint, is a wonderfully refreshing warm weather salad, and the national dish of Lebanon. Serve it topped with crumbled feta cheese as a light lunch or along side grilled chicken or kebobs for dinner.

Don't be intimidated by the number of ingredients in this recipe. This dish can be prepped in 30 minutes even if you're not Rachael Ray.

Tabbouleh

1 cup medium bulger wheat*
2 � cups boiling water
3 cups (packed) parsley leaves
� cup (packed) mint leaves
3 whole green onions
1teaspoon kosher salt
� teaspoon black pepper
� teaspoon ground cumin
� cup lemon juice or more to taste
1tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
10-12 oz container of cherry tomatoes
1 English cucumber **
1 small bunch of radishes (optional)
Romaine lettuce leaves

Place bulgur in a medium sized bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place parsley, mint and roughly chopped green onion in food processor and chop fine. Set aside.

Wisk together lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl to form a vinaigrette. Set aside.

Rinse tomatoes and cucumber (**peel cuke if you are not using English cucumber.) Wash and remove leaves from radishes. Cut cherry tomatoes in half, seed and dice cuke, and thinly slice radishes. Place them in a large bowl.

By now, the bulgur should have absorbed most of the water. Line a large colander with a large dishtowel and pour in bulgur. Gather up the ends of the dishtowel and gently twist to squeeze out any excess water. Place the bulgur in the bowl with the vegetables, and add the processed herbs and the lemon vinaigrette. Gently stir to combine. Cover and chill at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

Bring to room temperature before serving and adjust seasoning. The salad should have a pronounced lemony flavor.

Serve on a plate or platter lined with Romaine lettuce leaves along with additional lemon wedges.

Serves 6-8

*Bulgur comes in fine, medium, course and whole grains and can be easily purchased in any health food store or Middle Eastern market. Medium grain works best in this recipe.

I hope this article has helped you to gain a new appreciation of parsley as at least a minor player in the culinary world, not just a wimpy piece of greenery on your plate.

Next up in the series: Dill.