Parsley

Often underestimated as an herb and most commonly used as a garnish, parsley actually has a ton of flavor to offer. It's a key ingredient in Italian salsa verde and gremolata, and adds brightness and balance to almost any dish. Cookbook author Viana La Place says of her rediscovery of parsley: "It has a mineral richness you just can't beat." Her lemony rice salad—with arborio rice, lots of parsley, black olives, capers and lemon—takes only 25 minutes to prepare and is a perfect dish for summer cookouts. Parsley is also a great alternative to basil in pesto recipes, but we especially love this sauce paired with halibut. Olive oil, shallots, parsley, lemon juice and dash of cream make for an incredibly rich sauce that works well on a variety of seafood. Find these recipes and more in Food & Wine's guide to parsley.