Don't Forget the Herbs!

When cooking do you ever find yourself leaving out the fresh parsley or other herbs because you don't have any, or don't want to buy them to put in just one dish?  I have been guilty of just that when it comes to parsley.  I blame this on the fact that I used to have a nice patch of parsley in my backyard that even grew in the winter!  However, we recently built a deck in our backyard and my parsley patch was destroyed in the process.  I usually forget that I can't go out and grab a handful for a recipe until I am in the middle of meal preparation , and I also forget to buy it when I am at the store. 

I am trying to do a better job of remembering to buy it, and I will surely plant some more next summer.  That is because fresh parsley and other fresh herbs such as cilantro can not only make a dish tastier, but more nutritious too!  Fresh parsley is a good source of beta-carotene and vitamin C.  It also provides a little folate, iron and potassium to the diet.  Herbs are also a great source of antioxidants. 

Now that I think about it, maybe I will even try planting both of these herbs in pots in my windowsill this winter.  But, I haven't figured out how to keep the cats from knocking them over if I do......