When I was a kid, parsley was the frilly restaurant garnish. My Grandma once ate the sad, wilty garnish before my horrified eyes, saying it was good for fresh breath. It wasn’t until grad school that I was introduced to Italian flat leaf parsley and creeping up on middle age before chimichurri entered my vocabulary.

Parsley breath notwithstanding, Grandma was adding vitamins A, C, K, potassium and folate to her diet, protecting her eyesight and reducing her risk for a whole host of diseases. Still, there are better ways to introduce parsley to your diet.

One easy way is to make a parsley bouquet and keep it on your counter for adding to dishes you are cooking or for a sprinkle of chopped herb on top. Chimichurri was a revelation, an oil based green sauce from Argentina and Uruguay, drizzled on steak and just about everything else! I often make a big batch to freeze in ice cube trays for adding to soups during the winter. Parsley pesto is also a thing, a green sauce, but thicker with nuts and cheese.

Here’s to your fresh breath!