Fresh Parsley and Dahlias

Farm News

This time of year, I love eating fresh parsley out of the fields and the smell of cutting beautiful, cactus-shaped dahlias in rich hues of salmon to fluorescent purple. When you harvest dahlias, they have an incredible scent similar to tomatoes, but much more complex. It is pungent, but sweet and subtle, not too overbearing, and just enough kick to keep pests off of their hollow stems.

Parsley is similar. It is much more complex than our delicate lettuces with a hint of sweet celery and mint and no bitterness. When we walk the fields for availability every day, I usually graze on the young green kale and as soon as parsley gets big enough, it is an amazing and perfect combination. The flavors hit you immediately with distinct notes that fill your body with the immediate punch of vitamins K and C, protein, folate and many more including a volatile compound myristicin. The activity of parsley’s myristicin qualifies it as a “chemoprotective” food, and in particular, a food that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens like cigarette smoke. Much more than a decoration to your plate, parsley and kale have such unique health benefits and as our fields fill with young veggies sweet from our cooler, we will savor their delicious features before diving into the baby carrots and beets.

Don’t forget to find us on Instagram @fullcirclefarms.
– Wendy