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1. Put the parsley in a food processor along with the oil, garlic, a pinch of salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. With the machine on, drizzle the vinegar through the feed tube until the parsley is pureed.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of water and pulse the machine on and off a couple of times; taste. The mixture should be sharp, but not overpoweringly so. If it seems too strong, add a little more water (the texture will be quite loose, something like thick orange juice). Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Pass the sauce at the table, using a spoon to serve it.

VARIATIONS

• Add toasted walnuts or pine nuts, about 2 tablespoons, after the water. Pulse just until the nuts are chopped.

• Add the chopped white of a hard-cooked egg or two.

• Add grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or other hard cheese to taste, at least 2 tablespoons.

• Substitute a shallot for the garlic to weaken the sauce’s bite.

MARJORAM “PESTO”

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

MARJORAM IS RELATED to and resembles oregano, but its flavor is better. Oregano is a good but not perfect substitute. This sauce is excellent over simply cooked seafood.

2 cups fresh marjoram, leaves and small stems only

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon capers, drained

2 anchovy fillets (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine the marjoram and garlic in a blender or small food processor. Process until finely minced, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula once or twice if necessary. Add the vinegar and most of the oil and process until smooth.

2. Add the capers and anchovies if you like and pulse the machine on and off a few times; you want to mince, not puree, the mixture, so don’t overprocess.

3. Stir in the remaining oil, along with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.

PARSLEY TIPS

• Although many sources insist that flat-leaf parsley is better than the curly-leaf variety blind tastings have not borne out that myth. What matters more is freshness—limp parsley has less flavor.

• The parsley’s thick stems must be removed for preparations like these. Don’t discard them: use them to bolster the flavor of chicken stock.

• Parsley may be sandy so wash it well. In the quantity given below, it’s worth using a salad spinner to dry it.

CREAMED PARSLEY SAUCE

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

TIME: 10 MINUTES

PARSLEY IS THE most reliable and underrated herb in the western culinary world. Although we’ve come a long way from the days when its major role was as a decorative sprig on the side of a plate, we still don’t use it in the kinds of quantities we could. Here it is cooked like a vegetable—like spinach, really—to create a delicious, fresh-tasting sauce that I frequently serve over pasta but that also makes an interesting foil for simply grilled or broiled chicken breasts.

2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup minced shallot or onion

2 or 3 bunches (about 1 pound) parsley, stemmed

1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

1. Put the butter or oil in a deep skillet and turn the heat to medium. When the butter melts or the oil is hot, add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add the parsley and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the cream and turn the heat to low. Season the parsley mixture with salt and pepper and serve at once, with the cheese if you like.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO SAUCE

MAKES ABOUT 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 2 HOURS, LARGELY UNATTENDED

YOU CAN BUY sun-dried tomatoes already reconstituted and soaked in olive oil, but they’re expensive. It’s certainly easy enough—and only slightly less convenient if you think ahead—to begin with dried tomatoes. They’re almost as tough as shoe leather when you buy them but can easily be reconstituted: Soak them in hot water to cover until they’re soft, about an hour. (You might change the water once it cools to hasten the softening.)