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Chervil
Anthriscus cerefolium
This interesting, delicate herb has a very light parsley-anise flavor with a
hint of myrrh. It is almost always included in the French fines herbes
culinary blend. Its fresh taste is a quality addition to any meal. Chervil
is best grown in light shade, mostly during the ‘heat’ of the day. This is
how it grows in my western Pennsylvania garden, where the maple and locust
trees are so tall that they give shade around midday. The soil should be
light, well-drained and quite fertile. It’s a good idea to plant seeds every
six weeks, to keep fresh chervil coming, since it goes to seed quickly in
hot weather.
It is said to be a good indoor plant in the winter, if it gets enough
humidity. If it is not possible for you to grow Chervil indoors, leaves can
be frozen or dried to preserve them for later use. Giving this little plant
just what it likes yields such wonderful flavor! You can start gathering
leaves when they are about 4 inches high.
USES
Culinary --
Use LEAVES generously in salads, soups, sauces, vegetables, chicken, white
fish, and egg dishes. When used in a cooked dish, add right at the end, to
avoid flavor loss. When used in combination with other herbs, chervil
enhances their flavor. You can even use the tender, cut-up stems in salads,
soups and casseroles.
Cosmetic --
Make a tea with the leaves, or chop up and add to a clay or other mask to
clean out the pores and discourage wrinkles.
Medicinal --
Eating the raw leaves gives additional vitamin C, carotene and some
minerals. Made into a tea, chervil stimulates digestion and helps with
circulation disorders, liver problems and chronic catarrh (painful, inflamed
upper or lower respiratory stuffiness).
(some information obtained from "The Complete Book of Herbs“,
by Leslie Bremness)
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