Parsley
What needs to be said about the most universal and widely used herb of all? No garden or window box should be without it.
The leaves can be used to flavour and enliven the appearance of many, many dishes. The stalks may be added to stocks, while sprigs of parsley are the most ubiquitous garnish of the lot.
To keep a good supply going, it's best to sow some seeds in late spring and again at the end of summer, as the plant is a biennial.
Supermarkets sell chopped parsley in little tubs, useful when you only want to use small amounts.
Related Recipes
Serves 4 Veggies will love this recipe – marinating mushrooms adds masses of flavour. Serve them with a sweet-spice pimenton mayonnaise for dipping.
Serves 2 (double for 4 or treble for 6) Delia used lamb fillet instead of the more usual veal here and - guess what! - it was totally gorgeous and full of real Italian flavours, thanks to a jar of ready-made sauce. Even the risotto was easy - no stirring!
Serves 2 Just six ingredients go into this brilliant supper dish, including seafood selection and a jar of ready-made clam sauce…and it's luxurious enough to serve when entertaining. Perfect!
Serves 6 In this recipe, Delia uses tinned lentils and smoky Black Forest ham to create a soup that will hit the spot on a cold evening. As she says, soups are ideal if you haven't got much time to cook but want more than a ready meal…
Serves 4-6 Inspired by the classic salade Nicoise, this sophisticated cheat version uses ready-cooked quail's eggs for the ultimate in lazy preparation.