Garden Giveaway: Grow Chervil, the Sweet Spring Herb

Reader Contribution by Staff
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Patsy Bell Hobson is blogging at Oh Grow Up! When not in the garden or on the road, find her in southern Missouri USA. Read more travel stories at Striped Pot. Find more garden, travel and random rants on her Facebook. 

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) is a delicate herb that is best used fresh. Grow chervil in spring or fall. This delicate herb can’t take the heat, prefers moist soil and appreciates partial shade. You may have guessed by its lacy looks that it is in the parsley and carrot family.

 
Photo by Renee’s Garden 

Sometimes called garden chervil, it is a delicate annual herb. Depending on your Zone, sow a few seed in the fall and you may get an extra early spring crop. Some gardeners let chervil bloom and reseed.

Being in the carrot family may explain why chervil roots do not transplant well. Direct sow this seed. Then, in two weeks, sow again to extend the fresh herb supply.

 
Photo by Patsy Bell Hobson 

Sometimes referred to as “gourmet’s parsley,” chervil is used in poultry, fish and vegetables. I will chop chervil and add it to butter. Drizzle chervil butter over spring peas, new potatoes or baked white fish.

Chervil is not used in many American recipes. Look for it in French cuisine instead. It is a key ingredient in the French herb combination called “fines herbes.”

It is particularly popular in France, where it is added to omelettes, salads and soups. More delicate than parsley, it has a faint smell and taste of licorice or aniseed. Cut chervil and use before it flowers. Although the tiny delicate flowers are beautiful, garnish or add to salads.

Chervil is excellent preserved as herb vinegar. I like to combine parsley, chives and chervil in herb butter and also as an herb vinegar combo made with white wine vinegar.

Seed Packet Giveaway

I’m excited to announce another giveaway. Renee’s Garden is giving away chervil seed to three lucky Herb Companion readers. Winners will be selected randomly from comments. Good luck!

HOW TO ENTER 

• Post a comment in the comments section below telling us how you use chervil or if this is a new herb to you. For example, I might write, “I use chervil in a napa cabbage slaw.”

End date: May 4, 2012 (12:00 a.m. Central Time)UPDATE: Time’s up!

The winners have been contacted. They were chosen using Random.org. Thanks to everyone who entered my Garden Giveaway! Watch out for even more giveaways.

Thanks again to Renee’s Garden.

  • Published on Apr 11, 2012
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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