black sheep family farm: CSA Farm Share Week 3

Hello Everyone,

This week you will find in your shares:

Sat. June 14

Baby Lettuce Mix
Spinach
Beets (tops are great to eat)
Peas (last of the season, hope you enjoyed!!)
Parsley

Tue. June 17

Baby Lettuce Mix
Swiss Chard
Beets
Parsley
Radish

"To take parsley away from the cook, would make it almost impossible for him to exercise his art." - Louis Augustin Guillaume Bosc d'Antic

The ancient Romans knew of parsley, and Pliny said that sauces and salads should never be without it. Charlemange ordered it to be planted in his domains in 800 AD. Most historians agree that there is no written record of parsley in America before 1806.

Our parsley is so mind blowingly fresh and healthy, this is not for garnishing. *Parsley contains two types of unusual components that provide unique health benefits. The first type is volatile oil components including myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene. The second type is flavonoids—including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin.

Parsley's volatile oils—particularly myristicin—have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in animal studies, and particularly, tumor formation in the lungs. Myristicin has also been shown to activate the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase, which helps attach the molecule glutathione to oxidized molecules that would otherwise do damage in the body. The activity of parsley's volatile oils qualifies it as a "chemoprotective" food, and in particular, a food that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens (like the benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke).

The flavonoids in parsley—especially luteolin—have been shown to function as antioxidants that combine with highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules (called oxygen radicals) and help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. In addition, extracts from parsley have been used in animal studies to help increase the antioxidant capacity of the blood.

In addition to its volatile oils and flavonoids, parsley is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A (notably through its concentration of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid, beta-carotene) *(source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=100)

We hope you enjoy this often underrated vegetable!

Recipe Ideas

Parsley Humus - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/health/nutrition/no-parsley-left-behind-recipes-for-health.html?_r=0

Parsley Pesto - http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/02/the-secret-ingredient-parsley-spaghetti-with-pesto-recipe.html