Anyone who enjoys a good tabbouleh can attest to the importance of parsley in this hearty salad. Poor parsley is usually relegated to garnish status, limply lurking at the side of your dinner plate in restaurants and turning to grey flakes in your spice cabinet. So easy to grow in pots on your deck, or in the ground once summer sun kisses the earth, parsley (and I am referring to the meatier Italian flat parsley) makes a wonderful addition to your salads, dressings and pestos.
Alfredo Neuman has merry eyes and a kind smile. He spends his retirement as a beekeeper, maintaining at least 120 hives on the grounds of Brookview Farm in bucolic Manakin-Sabot, Virginia. Alfredo and his wife Barbara operate Alfredo’s Beehive at the well-attended South of the James Market in Forest Hill Park (now at Patrick Henry School for the winter term). This is a man who loves his work. Born and raised in Colombia, South America, Alfredo honors his late brother by practicing the art of apiary science. He offers a number of products and gives samples of two types of honey : clover, from nectar gathered in spring, and wildflower, a rich dark amber liquid from summer blooms at Brookview Farm and environs. This latter honey, pictured and used in today’s recipe, is exceptionally fragrant and rich tasting. Alfredo’s honey may also be purchased online or at Good Foods Grocery here in Richmond.