Do You Chimichurri?
by Maggie Davis

This summer my garden had an abundance of parsley and other herbs so I started making my own Chimichurri sauce. It is a traditional Argentine parsley-garlic sauce for grilled meats, but it can be used on fish, eggs, bread and vegetables. I found that there are dozens of variations, just as there are with pesto. The basic formula includes chopped fresh herbs such as Italian or flat parsley, cilantro, thyme and rosemary (doesn’t this sound Mediterranean?), garlic and either lemon juice or some type of vinegar to add some acidic bite. Unlike pesto, there are no nuts or cheese included, but the taste is rich and the herbs contribute plenty of vitamins as well… A little goes a long way!

Chimichurri
1/3 cup Lemon juice, sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 bunch Flat parsley (or 1/2 bunch each parsley and cilantro)
8 cloves of garlic crushed (more if you like)
1-3 Tbsp fresh Oregano chopped (or 1-3 tsp crumbled dried)
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper or 1/2 tsp Dried red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2-3/4 cup Olive Oil

Add first five ingredients to a blender or food processor process until smooth but not completely pureed. Whisk or pulse in olive oil, season to taste. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers but bring to room temperature before using.

Each Tablespoon contains: Calories-75, Total Fat-8gm, Sat Fat-1gm, Vitamin A-19RE, Vit-K-0, Folate-5mcg, Phytosterols-18mg, Potassium-24mg