Parsley (Petroselinum Crispum), is grown exclusively for its green leaves, or tops. The curled-leaf and Italian flat-leaf types are the most popular. Field seeding begins in early April and ends in May.
Parsley is a bright green, biennial herb that is very common in Middle Eastern, European, and American cooking. It is used for its leaf in much the same way as coriander (which is also known as Chinese parsley or cilantro), although it has a milder flavor.
Two forms of parsley are used as herbs: curly leaf and Italian or flat leaf. Curly leaf parsley is often used as a garnish. Many people think flat leaf parsley has a stronger flavor, and this opinion is backed by chemical analysis which finds much higher levels of essential oil in the flat-leaved cultivars. One of the compounds of the essential oil is apiol. Another type of parsley is grown as a root vegetable.
Parsley is valued as a breath-freshener, due to its high concentration of chlorophyll. Adam Blackman, a nutritionist, claims parsley enhances mental alertness, and affects the immune system.
Meloukhia (Corchorus Oliotorus ) A tall leafy herb, whose leaves are used as a potherb, spinach or as a salad. The leaves are lanceolate and serrate and are used fresh and dried. In Egypt and the Middle East mostly used in soups, in India as a spinach substitute and in the Caribbean as a salad. Sometimes used as a source of jute, but c.capsularis is the more important source of fibre.
Coriander, (Coriandrum sativum), featheryannual plantof the parsley family (Apiaceae), parts of which are used as both anherb and a spice. Native to the Mediterranean andMiddle Eastregions, theplantis widelycultivatedin many places worldwide for its culinary uses. Itsdry fruits and seeds, which are also known as coriander, are used to flavour many foods, particularlysausages,curries, Scandinavian pastries,liqueurs, and confectionery, such as English comfits. Its delicate young leaves, known as cilantro, are widely used in Latin American, Indian, and Chinese dishes.
Dill, (Anthum Graveolens), is native to the Mediterranean area and southern Russia. Dill is a hardy annual, and sometimes is grown as a biennial. Dill is commonly used as a seasoning for soups, fish, and pickles. Its aromatic leaves, seeds, flowers, and stems can also be used to flavour cabbage, vinegars, butter, apple pie, cakes, and bread. Dill should be direct-seeded in spring about 10 inches apart. Since dill has long tap roots, it should not be transplanted. Fresh leaves should be harvested before flowering begins. Harvest seeds as soon as seed heads are brown and dry.
Spearmint (Menthes viridis) this common garden mint is not a native of these islands, though growing freely in every garden, but is originally a native of the Mediterranean region, and was introduced into Britain by the Romans, being largely cultivated not only by them, but also by the other Mediterranean nations. It has, in fact, been so universally esteemed, that it is to be found wild in nearly all the countries to which civilization has extended, and in America for 200 years it has been known as an escape from gardens, growing in moist soils and proving sometimes troublesome as a weed.
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