One of my favourite plants in the edible garden this year so far has been chervil. This is my first year growing this delightful little herb and I must say, it won’t be the last. I love its lacy foliage that looks a little like flat-leaf parsley (except daintier) and its tiny sprays of white flowers. It grows in a tidy mound instead of an ungainly sprawl and would transfer nicely over to an ornamental garden.
The flavour, though…what is that, exactly? I find it on the anise side, but others have described it as akin to tarragon (perhaps) or even basil, which I just don’t taste (well, maybe the purple basils, which seem to have a licorice zip to them). The leaves can get a bit tough in the hot sun, so it’s really fortunate that I positioned my chervil plants right next to my monster mizuna greens, which lend them a bit of shade (yep, in retrospect it was all a nice bunch of pre-planning on my part, LOL!). The chervil will have to fend for itself when I yank out the last bit of mizuna to eat.
So far, I’ve tried my chervil in egg dishes, in mixed green salads, and with baked fish…does anyone have any other favourite ways to use it? I will probably dry some of it for later use. I’m trying to think of a way to incorporate it into a canned product or baked good as well…the anise-ish-y flavour makes me think that it might pair well with pears or peaches, maybe even apples. Ooooh, food for thought! (Thoughts of food?). 😉
What “ornamental edible” (herb, greens, fruit etc.) has made an impression in your garden and on your tastebuds this year?
Flowery Prose. 