Chervil

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) is a delicate annual herb related to parsley. It is used to season mild-flavoured dishes and is a constituent of the French herb mixture fines herbes.

Location
It prefers a cool and moist location, otherwise it rapidly goes to seed (also known as bolting).

Sowing
Chervil is best grown seeded in place - transplanting can be difficult, due to the long taproot.

You can also sow the seeds in pots indoors for a crop in winter. Sow two or three seeds in a 15cm (6in) pot filled with seed compost. Remove the weaker plants and grow the remaining seedling on a kitchen windowsill.

The germination rate in the seeds will reduce dramatically after they have been stored for over a year. Collect seeds when harvesting for next year's sowing.

Harvesting
Regular harvesting of leaves also helps to prevent bolting. . Pick leaves from the outside of the plant when gathering. You should also remove all but a few flower heads, leaving some for seeds for next year. If plants bolt despite precautions, the plant can be periodically re-sown through the growing season, thus producing fresh plants as older plants bolt and go out of production.

Preserving
Chervil does not dry well as it will lose most of its flavour. For best results freeze in individual portions.

Troubles
Chervil is a very pest-free herb to grow and is seldom bothered by any insect, fungus or disease problems.