This recipe with garlic, lemons, and parsley is a must try. And the awesome thing is that you can grow all the main ingredients in containers on your balcony or patio.
I believe in sauce, and if that sauce is something that I can assemble from things growing in my garden, then it is a done deal – fresh garden sauce love!
Chimichurri is not really a sauce, it has an accent, so it is a salsa. It hails from Argentina, where it is served next to, or on top of, nearly everything. Actually, all of South America is in love with some form of this flavorful condiment – Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Peru also jump on the chimichurri express whenever they need a topping for meat or fish.
Food is not impervious to fashion, and the current popularity of chimichurri will attest to this. It pushed mango salsa clear off the catwalk. Chimichurri is the Supermodel of Sauce, seen hanging out at the best tables at the coolest restaurants. Everybody wants her.
And you, dear gardener, can have chimichurri – all you need to make it can be grown in containers on your patio or balcony! (I’ll let you off the hook on the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper – but everything else is easily grown)
Ingredients
- 4 cups coarsely chopped parsley (you can include the smaller stems)
- 1 tsp oregano, finely chopped
- 6 plump cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1-1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, add the salt & pepper, then let it sit at least one hour before serving.
Put it on EVERYTHING! South Americans love it on steak, but it is a wonderful addition to the vegetarian cookbook! Chimichurri on roasted potatoes, as a spread on sandwiches, as a dip for practically anything – I can’t imagine a savory dish that wouldn’t be enhanced by a spoonful of this magical, garlicky wonder sauce.
