Recipe: Wilted parsley

Total time: 15 minutes

Servings: 6

Note: Something slightly astringent is always a nice accompaniment to fried foods, whether it is a tart salad or something a little fancier, such as this. The same preparation can be used for sweet pea greens, which would also be very good.

3 bunches curly parsley

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt

1. Cut the stems from the parsley, then gather all of the tops together in a big bunch and cut in quarters. Place the tops in a large bowl filled with water and swirl them around to wash thoroughly.

2. Heat the garlic and the oil together in a large skillet over medium heat. Let the garlic color to a deep brown but don’t let it scorch. Grab a big handful of parsley from the bowl of water and, without squeezing it dry, place it in the skillet. It will pop fiercely, so stand back. When that parsley has turned a deep green, add the remaining parsley, draining it but not squeezing it dry. Cook, tossing and stirring, until the parsley begins to wilt, about 5 minutes.

3. When the parsley is slightly wilted but not limp, squeeze the lemon juice over top and season to taste with salt. This can be held over very low heat for 10 minutes until ready to serve.

Each serving: 93 calories; 16 mg. sodium; 0 cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 1 gram fiber.