Parsley is native to the Mediterranean region of southern Europe and western Asia. The herb has been cultivated for over 2,000 years, and prior to being used in food, it was typically used for medicinal purposes due to being rich in anti-oxidants. However, the ancient Greeks used it for decorating tombs and making wreaths for the winners at the Isthmian games, due to viewing the herb as a sacred plant.
The most common and well-known use of Parsley is garnishing, this is something that can be traced back to ancient Roman times when they would wear parsley around their necks as it was thought to absorb food odours. The modern use of parsley as a garnish comes from the belief that chewing a few of the fresh leaves freshens the breath after a meal.
Parsley is very easy to grow only requiring a moderate amount of water, a little shade and room to grow. There are 2 types of parsley, flat and curly, however curly is much more robust. You can grow parsley by seed or from a small starter plant and the beauty of it is you can cut it and it regrows. Parsley is a great addition to garden beds and borders and is also a great companion plant for both roses and tomatoes.
For those of you who would use your parsley in a new recipe, whether it be homegrown or store-bought, Gill has included her very own lamb cutlets with parsley recipe below.
Lamb cutlets with parsley (4 people)
You will need…
- Handful of oats
- 1 lemon
- Tbsp of olive oil
- Handful of parsley
- 1oz of parmesan
- Lamb cutlets
Method…
- Firstly heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
- Whilst the oven is warming up you want to make the topping. You will need a handful of oats, zest from a whole lemon (thinly sliced), the juice from a whole lemon, some seasoning, a tablespoon of olive oil, a good handful of parsley and stalks (there great for flavour in the stalks) and 1oz of grated hard cheese e.g. Parmesan. You then want to put all of those ingredients into the blender and blend until chopped finely.
- Next, you want to put your pan on the heat with a little olive oil, once it’s smoking sear the lamb cutlet on all sides.
- Once that is done that take them off the heat and put them on a tray and coat them with the topping you made earlier. (put the topping on the fat this stops the mean from drying out)
- Once coated pop them in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes depending on how you like your lamb, rare medium or well done.
- Once cooked put on a plate to rest for 5 mins then serve with a wedge of fresh lemon.
We hope you have learned something new today and for those of you who try out the recipe be sure to tag @GrimscoteManor in photos of your delicious lamb cutlets. We’d love to see them!
