Chervil
Anthriscus cerefolium
Description
Chervil is a pretty annual plant with leaves resembling those of miniature ferns; it is suited to growing in pots and indoors.
Stem
Thin, branched and hollow. Eaten raw in salads, cooked in soups.
Leaves
The small leaves of chervil, finely shaped, they are pale green and turn red in autumn.
Flowers
The light white flowers, gathered in umbels, usually bloom at the end of summer, and are pleasant to look at, but if you want the leaves to develop more fully, it is useful to remove the buds to prevent flowering.
Fruits
If it is grown in an environment where the temperature is too high, a large quantity of seed will be produced.
Exposure
The ideal place to plant chervil is at the foot of a deciduous plant, since light shade is welcome in summer.
Propagation
As a rule, sowing is done in succession, every month, except in winter. After scattering the seeds on the ground, you need only press lightly to make them adhere, but not to bury them. Chervil also self-seeds
Growth
This herb does not take kindly to transplanting, so after sowing, you need simply thin out the surplus plants, leaving about twenty centimetres between one clump and the next.
Harvesting
The leaves can be picked just a few weeks after sowing, preferably before flowering; to enjoy their full aroma, they are used fresh.
Storage
The delicate and very pleasant aroma, somewhat reminiscent of parsley and somewhat of aniseed, is unfortunately lost, at least in part, both by freezing and by drying.
Properties
IN THE KITCHEN: Chervil leaves, rich in vitamin C, iron, magnesium and carotene, are good for the health as well as pleasing to the palate. They should be added to food at the end of cooking, so that they keep their scent and their powers almost unaltered. As well as in soups, vegetables, fish, eggs and poultry, they are also excellent in salads.
Beauty
The infusion, dabbed on the face or left on for a long time as a beauty mask, it reduces wrinkles and improves the tone of the skin.
Health
A chervil tea stimulates the digestive functions and is good for the liver and the circulation. The roots are a real help in the form of depression that sometimes affects elderly people.