Kitchen Gardens: Chervil
Filed Under Herbalist |
Another herb discussed in Mary Cambell’s 1971 book is chervil.
Now I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a great cook. It may be because I’m a chemist that I have no desire to spend time in the kitchen, but after reading her treatise on chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium), this hardy annual might be included in my garden.
Botanist and herbalist John Gerard (1545-1611) states: “The leaves of sweet Chervill are exceeding good, wholesome and pleasant among other salad herbs, giving the taste of Anise seed unto the rest.” You can find copies of his beautiful illustrations that are royalty-free for use in publications.
Chervil is a great addition to salads, imparting its delicately spicy hints of licorice. It’s a garnish for dishes and a flavoring for omelets, herb butters, and an important ingredient for some versions of Béarnaise sauce. Mary says that chervil’s strong suit is that it “brings out the best in other herbs and foods with which it is combined, just as some charming people stimulate the others about them.”
Herbalist Nicholas Culpeper relates, “The garden Chervil being eaten, doth moderately warm the stomach,” and so it has been used as a digestive aid for hundreds of years.
Wendy
