Green, Pretty, Nutritious & Free

I was out for dinner with a friend last night, in a rather posh restaurant. A rare treat, as I don't get taken out much these days to 4-5 starred establishments, what with the economic crisis being reminded by all media day after day. Even those who are not directly affected are holding back a bit, psychologically influenced no doubt.

We both ordered roast duck with caramelised orange, baby onions and wild mushrooms, wild rice as well instead of the new potatoes as listed on the menu-card. The duck was crispy on the outside and barely pink inside, not done to death as in most restaurants. Delicious! I ate the decoration as well, 2 minute radish florets and a beautiful bunch of parsley. He finished the meal before me but had left the parsley on the side of his plate so I asked him to give me that as well.

"You must be extra hungry tonight!" observed my companion. I did notice he was looking at me, earlier, half smiling, when I attacked the parsley on my own plate with great gusto. Now with his remark I wondered whether I was giving him the impression that I wasn't being ladylike eating the parsley which most people would simply push aside. His look seemed to indicate that he was a bit embarrassed on my behalf, not bothered by about one third of the duck meat I left on the plate, but by the parsley I didn't!!

Well, once in the car on the way home, I told him the virtue of the parsley. Maybe not too many people know that this humble vegetable, green, full of vitamins, and free - at least in Spain it is. Any customers buying any kind of vegetables in the market or their local Super can just help themselves from the basket, or in a bucket placed on one corner of the greens department, not having to pay for it. Same in any fish stall or fish shop, there is always parsley for the customers.

This vegetable, though mostly used as decoration to add colour and the floral effect on a plate, provides a huge amount of valuable nutrition for a healthy diet. It contains an incredible amount of vitamins C and A, 4 times more vitamin C than the famous orange and considerable amount of A that's most beneficial and important to vision and immunity; including doses of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron. Curiously 100 cc of parsley contains more calcium than 100 cc of milk! Adding all that with it's being free as well, what more do we want in a wonderful vegetable full of nutrients?

And, How do I know all these? Well I looked it up!! I don't know by whom or since when it began to be called parsley though. It's official name is really 'petroselinum sativum' - but I guess you didn't need to know that!!

Tags:parsley

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