Parsley Toast

First, I have to say, thank God for the microwave. Those are hard words for this long-time microwave hater to utter. But I have this clay filled plastic pouch that you put in the devil-box for 45 seconds. And when I lay down upon it, I get a few moments of comfort from whatever the heck I did to my back.

If it weren’t for the injury, the most used appliance in the kitchen these days might be the food processor. When you have a CSA, you need to try and reduce the volume of the fresh produce as quickly as possible. Grilling is great. Sautéing greens works like magic. And chopping is so effective, it feels like cheating.

I found myself asking Mrs. Fussy to run out and pick me up another cabbage, just so I could chop up some green onions into a new batch of slaw. And while I admit that the slaw thing will never take off, I wonder how people would respond to the idea of parsley toast.

Avocado toast has long been a thing. And that’s really just an earthy, fatty, vegetable-forward spread for a protein rich snack.

Who doesn’t love toast?

There was a move about a year ago to try and usurp the ever popular avocado toast with radish toast. And in some ways, that makes sense, because shaved radishes are just so pretty to look at. They are. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t stylistically played out. They are that too.

But you still need to put something on your toast.

My mother is a big fan of reduced fat Greek yogurt and honey on toast. For a while I was using the reserved olive oil from a batch of tonno del chianti on my morning toast. Man, I love that stuff.

Lately, I’ve convinced myself that my diet would really love me to eat parsley toast.

Effectively, it’s Italian salsa verde. But I don’t use any recipes when making this parsley puree in the food processor. I just try to make it as pungent, and eye-opening as possible. I figure that each of these ingredients has its own health claims, and I should be eating as many of them as possible.

Parsley, for starters, is an aromatic dark leafy green.
Garlic, raw and minced, is supposed to be great for you.
Chili pepper flakes get the heart going.
Mustard powder is made from seeds.
Anchovies are full of good fat.
Capers are made from flower buds.
Lemon juice fights scurvy.
Olive oil makes you live forever.

Maybe there’s a little salt in there too. But that’s the build. It all gets whirled up into a paste. And then it gets spread over everything. It’s great with poached salmon, or grilled meats. But as it turns out, this sauce is also fantastic on toast.

Sure, it’s a bracing breakfast, but it will shake you from your slumber. Who needs coffee when raw garlic, anchovy, and lemon juice are ready to help you take on the day?