If you’re partial to fresh herbs and have a lot left over, here’s an easy tip to extend their lifespan.
By Josée Déry, cook at the Jardin botanique restaurant
Keep a bag in the freezer for storing coriander (stems included), parsley and mint leaves, chive shoots and the top part of your slightly stale green onions. Have you got a surplus of citrus peel, or did you chop a little too much French shallot or jalapeno pepper? Add them to the herbs and make an ultra-versatile sauce, chimichurri:
| Ingredients | Quantity | Preparation method |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed herbs (parsley, coriander, mint, chive, basil…) | 1 cup | 1. Blanche the herbs to fix the color and that way extend preservation of the sauce. To do that, pour boiling water on the frozen herbs. 2. Let sit for 10 seconds, then transfer the herbs to an ice bath (half water, half ice) for 10 seconds. 3. Wring the herbs to remove a maximum of water. |
| Dried oregano | 15 ml | |
| Garlic | 5 cloves | 4. With a mixer or handheld blender, crush the garlic with the salt and vinegar. |
| Salt | ½ teaspoon | |
| Red-wine or sherry vinegar | 75 ml | |
| Hot peper flakes | ¼ teaspoon | 5. Add the herbs and pepper and pulse to get a concasse, rather than a purée. |
| Good-quality olive oil | 125 ml | 6. Pour into a bowl and whisk, adding the olive oil. |
This salsa verde from Argentina often serves as a marinade or a condiment for grilling. I use it everywhere: a quick salad dressing, a coating on grilled vegetables, eggs and omelets, as a mayonnaise for sandwiches, as a topping for soup, for pizza, to season cooked grains and cereals, and so on.
It’s an excellent basic recipe to experiment with, using flavorings and spices: cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, fennel, thyme, bay leaf, citrus fruit, dune pepper, samphire, garlic blossom, ginger, etc.
Bon appétit!