Parsley

Now I seek recipes that use lots of fresh parsley, either raw or cooked, having found that I relish it as well. Both of these closely related and tasty herbs ...

It is easier to chop than the curly kind that looks so cute on the side of a plate. You can also slightly crack cilantro seeds just enough to separate the hemispherical pair of seeds that make up the “seeds.” This speeds germination a bit and means that you won’t get your seedlings in little pairs. The seed of cilantro is a bit less likely to grow if it falls, though it may, but you can also eat the seeds. You can delay flowering a bit and get more leaves to form by harvesting the stems that will bear the flower buds. The faster life cycle of cilantro means you have to plant a little every few weeks to keep it coming; write it on your calendar. I never hated parsley, but then I didn’t have much chance to develop hate or love of it from the curled parsley leaf garnish that I sometimes pushed aside on a restaurant plate.