Eat Your Parsley... Or Ferment it?!

I love parsley. Growing up on the timid northwest coast, my mother always had parsley in the garden, even in winter. We added it to soups and stews, and chewed it before meals as a digestive aid.  Mom was fond of telling us it was also good for bad breath and gas (she didn’t know that was because it aided digestion in the stomach).
 
Here in the Yukon, parsley is a prolific member of my herb garden. BC (Before Children), I would re-pot my parsley in late summer and continue to grow it on my window sill during winter. Well, it didn’t really grow… it *survived* (oh, how many times the window frost engulfed the leaves). But what a blessed thing to have fresh herbs in the winter! One day, I’m going to get my indoor herb garden going again.
 
At the last Fermented Foodies gathering, I brought a new dish made with fermented parsley called Chimichirri. It’s a traditional Argentinian condiment that I also enjoyed when I lived in Paraguay. If you have ever traveled to South America, you know how fond they are of meat! Well, this condiment goes excellent with grilled meats and just so happens to aid with its digestion.  Plus, all those nutrients inherent in parsley – Vitamin C, K, A, folate and iron – are enhanced and made more bioavailable for our health.
 
I made this recipe in winter with parsley from the grocery store. I bet it will be 1000x better fresh from the garden.  Keep this recipe for summer!!

CHIMICHIRRI

• 1.5 cups fresh packed parsley leaves, removing the main stems
  
• Handful of fresh oregano leaves, or 2 Tbl dried
  
• ¼ white onion, or 6 inches of leek stem
  
• 4-6 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp chili peppers
• 1 Tbl of aged kombucha (or apple cider vinegar, or juice of a lime)
• ¼ to ½ tsp fresh black pepper
• ¾ tsp sea salt

 
You can process these together in a food processer or Vitamix, or just chop very finely (it will take about 10-15 minutes though). Pour the mixture into a 2 cup/pint sized jar and press down until the brine rises above the food.  Place a weight on top to keep the mixture submerged and put the jar in a warm, shaded place to ferment for five to ten days.  Take your first taste at day five so you will know when you like it best.
 
Once the fermentation period is complete, stir in ¼ to ½ cup olive oil. Chimichurri can be refrigerated for at least a month (ours didn’t last that long). Enjoy!

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