If you’ve spent any time in my kitchen (or my Instagram) this summer, you already know I have a bit of a thing for turning herbs into simple homemade staples. My garden can’t keep up with me! Now it’s parsley’s turn, and this just might be my favourite herb-forward series yet. Grab my recipes for Parsley Flower Butter, Parsley Garlic Cream Cheese, and the story behind Charles’ Famous Parsley Feta Salsa that started it all.
Parsley can sometimes live in its fellow herbs’ shadows (not the flashiest herb in town), but it deserves a moment to shine. Used right, it’s bright, grassy, with the perfect hint of peppery bite. Blend it, whip it, or fold it into something creamy, and it turns into a completely different herb that earns its keep on the plate. It’s the people pleaser of herbs.
These parsley recipes help give it the main character energy it deserves.
A Summer of Herbs
Like the Chive Blossom and Basil recipe series before it, this parsley duo is really just my way of holding onto summer a little longer. Parsley is one of those herbs that keeps giving no matter how much you harvest, and when my garden is overflowing, this is exactly how I use it up.
The butter has become my not-so-secret weapon for weeknights that need a little help. Melt it over a freshly grilled steak, stir it into warm pasta, or spread it thick on a piece of crusty bread. Even my pickiest eater, who claims to hate anything green, seems willing to look the other way for this one.
The parsley cream cheese has become a household obsession in its own right. Spread it over toasted sourdough or a classic bagel, dollop it onto a baked potato, or put it out with crackers when you need something easy.
Both taste like the kind of magic you’d find in a little French kitchen, where nothing is fussy yet everything still feels a little chic (yes, even butter). C’est ça le charme du français. That’s the charm of the French, loves.
Where It All Started: Charles’ Famous Feta Salsa
Before we get to the new recipes, a quick throwback. This whole parsley obsession really kicked off when Charles made his famous feta salsa for our summer guests: fresh parsley, creamy feta, and a few other simple ingredients tossed into a salsa that brightens up grilled chicken, tacos, burgers, roasted vegetables, or a warm piece of crusty bread. He loves to say he puts that sh*t on everything, so really, the sky’s the limit here.
Charles was once invited to work as a chef at a dinner party with all the lavish seafood you could imagine, mussels, oysters, lobster, the whole spread. And the star of the show was, you guessed it, the feta salsa. It got raving reviews all night, and still does to this day in our kitchen. I mean… mini steak sandwiches with feta salsa? Yes please. So there you go, a little more Charles lore.
If you missed it the first time around, you can find the full Feta Salsa recipe here or of course, inside Fraîche Table for anyone wanting to have your meals mapped out for you with 1000’s of my recipes.
Parsley Flower Butter & Parsley Garlic Cream Cheese
There’s something so satisfying about turning an ordinary bunch of parsley into something people will fight over the last bite of. Who knew the humble parsley plant had this much potential?
The Parsley Flower Butter is rich and savoury, perfect for melting over something warm like bread or a grilled steak (compound butter). The Parsley Garlic Cream Cheese is cool and creamy, begging to be spread on absolutely everything from bagels to crackers. Together, they’re proof that parsley deserves way more credit than it gets.
Parsley Flower Butter
This parsley butter is rich, herby, and a little garlicky, whipped smooth and rolled into a log so it's ready whenever dinner needs a little extra something. Salted or unsalted butter work fine here, you can adjust the amount of added salt to taste.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley flowers divided
Instructions
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Add the softened butter, chopped parsley, garlic, salt, and half of the parsley flowers to a small bowl. Mix until evenly combined.
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Spoon the butter onto a piece of parchment paper and shape it into a log. Gently press the remaining parsley flowers into the outside of the butter, then roll it tightly into a smooth log in the parchment.
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Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until firm. Slice into rounds and serve over warm bread, grilled vegetables, potatoes, steak, fish or chicken.
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Use parsley flowers that have not been sprayed with pesticides. If you don't have parsley flowers just substitute for parsley leaves.
Where to Use Parsley Butter
- Melted over a seared steak or grilled chicken
- Stirred into warm pasta with a little Parmesan
- Spread on crusty bread or dinner rolls
- Tossed with roasted potatoes or corn on the cob
- Swirled into mashed potatoes for a herby finish
Parsley Garlic Cream Cheese
Cream cheese whipped with fresh parsley, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon until it's light, herby, and completely spreadable.
Ingredients
- 1 250 g. package cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1/2 lemon juiced & zested
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- Salt to taste
Instructions
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Add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl and mix until smooth and well combined. Add salt to taste.
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Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Let it soften slightly at room temperature before serving.
Where to Use Parsley Garlic Cream Cheese
- Spread on toasted sourdough or a warm bagel (the thought of this cream cheese on Smoked Salmon Breakfast Bagels… My stomach is officially grumbling)
- Served alongside crackers for an effortless appetizer
- Layered into a sandwich or wrap
- Dolloped onto a baked potato
From the Garden, With Love
Fresh herbs have a way of making the simplest things feel a little more special without much extra effort. Whether you’re melting the butter over dinner, spreading the cream cheese on tomorrow’s bagel, or finally getting around to that feta salsa, consider this your sign to use whatever’s overflowing in your garden this week.
A little snip, a little creativity, and something delicious to show for it. There’s nothing better.
Enjoy! 🌿
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