Humble parsley. So often taken for granted and often considered merely window (or plate) dressing. What a shame.

Have you ever really tasted flat leaf, Italian parsley?
I mean, have you ever put a little bundle of parsley leaves in your mouth and chewed them around and savored their fresh, earthy, green flavor? You'll recognize hints of celery, licorice and pepper.

In addition to having a unique, vibrant flavor, parsley is a good source of vitamins K and A, iron, vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, and fiber.
And it is an indispensable ingredient in many dishes, Baba Ganoush (also called Baba Ganosh) being one of them.




Kalyn, of Kalyn's Kitchen has offered this week's Weekend Herb Blogging hosting duties to Divya from Dil Se. Head on over to Dil Se on Monday for the whole Weekend Herb Blogging round-up.

This is a much simpler recipe than Todd English's Baba Ganoush recipe that I posted last month. It requires only five ingredients and is a wonderful dip for pita bread.

Baba Ganoush
from The New York Cookbook by Molly O'Neil
makes 2½ cups

1 large eggplant
1/3 cup tahini paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Prick the eggplant all over with a fork, wrap in foil. Bake until fork tender, 1 hour.
3. Remove the eggplant from the oven; let cool. Peel the eggplant and mash the pulp in a medium bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir to mix well. This keeps for up to 1 week in a covered container in the refrigerator.