CHERVIL (Anthriscus cerifolium)

Cerifolium means "pleasant leaf." Common names for chervil include gourmet's parsley, French parsley, beaked parsley, and myrrhis. Chervil is a hardy annual which has a delicate anise flavor. It is a native of Europe and Asia. The plant, which grows to eight to twelve inches (some sources say up to two feet), resembles parsley, but is more lacy and delicate. It makes a dainty edging plant. There is also a curly variety of chervil, variety crispum. Woodland cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) is a wild variety, a hardy perennial that grows up to six feet tall. Chervil is a cool weather plant that doesn't like hot weather or humidity and tends to bolt in those conditions. It likes light shade, but will grow in full sun. Because it likes some shade, it works well as an indoor potted herb. It will do well in a window that gets four to five hours of sun per day.

Seed can be sown in the early spring or in the fall (i.e., cool weather) in light shade. It likes a soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. The seeds require some light to germinate so they should not be covered with soil, but gently pressed into the soil and kept moist. One way to help ensure that the seeds don't dry out is to cover them with a layer of cheesecloth, which still lets the light in, but keeps the seeds moistened. The seeds sprout in around ten days and you are ready to start harvesting cuttings in six to eight weeks. It is recommended that several plants be planted in succession to ensure a continuous supply of the herb. A spring planting will go to seed by July 1. Because the herb does not transplant well, it should be planted in the spot designated for it. One fully developed, it will begin to flower. Pinch back the umbel-type flowers to prolong the life of the herb. You may want to let a few flowers develop toward the end of the plant's life cycle to encourage self-seeding. When the plant is at the very end of its life, it will turn pink and then red, giving some fall color to the garden.

Chervil is used a lot by the French and is one of the ingredients of Fines Herbes. In ancient Rome, the roots were eaten as well as the leaves. In times past, it was a common herb in English gardens, but has ceased to be so now. It is best used fresh. The new leaves are the most flavorful. Chervil can be dried, but should be done so quickly in an oven or microwave to retail some of its flavor. If dried naturally in the open air, it loses all of its flavor. The herb can also be frozen. It can be used fresh in salads, soups, stews, creamy sauces (including Bˇarnaise sauce), meats and vegetables. The French also use it in a vinaigrette. Because the flavor dissipates quickly when cooking, it should be added just before serving. The dried form of chervil in Fines Herbes blends should also be added at the end of the cooking. In Europe, chervil soup is a tradition on Holy Thursday, and the scent of the herb is supposed to be reminiscent of myrrh.

Though chervil is primarily a culinary herb, some medicinal uses are reported. Pliny claimed that chervil comforted "the cold stomach of the aged." He also said that the boiled roots were used as a preventative against the plague. In the Middle Ages, leaves were used to soothe painful joints or rheumatism. Vinegar laced with the leaves was used as a hiccup cure. It was also supposed to have "great qualities of rejuvenation." Other claims were that it improved humor, shook the memory, reduced phlegm and liver problems, expelled kidney stones, "sends down women's courses," affected the bladder and helped "the pleurisy and prickling of the sides." Culpeper said that one can dissolve congealed or clotted blood (i.e., bruises), by drinking the juice of the plant, laying bruised leaves on the bruise, or by making compresses of dried leaves to put on the bruise. Gerard warned, however, that "it has a certain windiness, by means whereof it provoketh lust." So be warned! A tea made from the leaves eliminates toxins and helps purify body systems, according to a more recent source. Used in a facial mask, it cleanses the skin and maintains its suppleness.

Thanks to Carolyn Vance for this report on chervil. Her sources were The Rodale Herb Book, Old Time Herbs for Northern Gardens by Minnie Watson Kamm, Ortho's Guide to Herbs, Herbs, How to Select, Grow and Enjoy by HP Books, The Time-Life Encyclopedia of Gardening, Eyewitness Handbooks, Herbs by Dorling Kindersley, and 100 Favorite Herbs by Teri Dunn.