Chimichurri Makes It All Better!

We are very lucky, very lucky indeed. My friend–the uber talented Germinatrix and author of The Edible Front Yard–Ivette Soler has shared her recipe for chimichurri sauce with us! Now, I admit I had no idea what chimichurri was until last night, when Ivette posted about it on her Facebook page. But when I heard that it involved garlic, lemons, and parsley, I knew I would like it. And the awesome thing is that you can grow all the main ingredients in containers on your balcony or patio.

So, without further ado, here’s what Ivette has to say about chimichurri:

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I am a lover of sauce.

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.

I also believe chimichurri makes me a better dancer. And gives my hair a certain bounce. My smile is wider when I eat it (but I have to check for parsley between my teeth). Try it and see what it does for you!

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Ivette Soler is the author of the amazingly wonderful book, The Edible Front Yard: The Mow Less, Grow More Plan for a Beautiful, Bountiful Garden. In the book, Ivette uses her landscape designer skills to show folks how to create an edible garden that is beautiful enough to be placed right out in front of the house.

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