1
0
A few months back we planted Lacinato kale and Swiss chard in our backyard. Right now, the greens get morning shade from a wall, enjoy the midday sun and then get partial shade from a robust bougainvillea. They seem to love it , but I worry what will happen in the height of summer. For now, we have vigorous brassicas that need thinning so that some of the plants can grow up and sprout larger, lusher leaves. Even at this stage of their growth, it is a lot of kale and chard…even for two bears.
We hope to bring you more recipes that highlight produce from our garden (not just kale, I promise!). For now, I want to share this super quick and easy, cheater-cheater chimichurri.
What is chimichurri? Chimichurri is a sauce, or condiment, that is thought to have originated in Argentina, but has since spread to Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, etc. It is made by mincing up fresh herbs and garlic, and mixing it with spices, acid (vinegar and/or lemon juice) and oil. Here I use a blender to make this chimichurri, and the machine tends to emulsify the oil and vinegar/lemon juice. I don’t mind this and the sauce has a smoother consistency. So why didn’t I do this by hand? It’s just faster and easier, and sometimes I just need to be at my desk. Simple as that.
If you have time to mince everything, make sure you use a sharp knife, otherwise you may just end up bruising the herbs, which can turn black. You’ll be rewarded with a coarser sauce, that may not be emulsified, but it will be just as delicious. And who doesn’t love a little bit of texture?
Chimichurri is great drizzled, dolloped, spooned, spread and smeared on any grilled or roasted meats or vegetables. Serve chimichurri drizzled on a burrata and tomato salad (swoon!). Swap out store-bought vinaigrette and use it as a salad dressing or serve it for breakfast on jammy eggs. The options are endless. (Thick sliced sourdough bread with prosciutto? Yes please!)
Kale Chimichurri (in a blender)
Enjoy this cheater-cheater kale chimichurri all summer long.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup packed packed kale leaves
- 1/4 bunch cilantro
- 1/4 bunch parsley
- 3-4 sprigs mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add 1/3 cup olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, kale, cilantro, parsley, mint, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, onion powder and black pepper into a blender and pulse 3-5 times. At this point you need to decide how chunky you want your chimichurri, or just puree everything on high speed until smooth, while drizzling remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, but only as needed.
