Argentinian Steak and Chimichurri Sauce

I love a wonderful London Broil, marinated, perfectly grilled and sliced thinly.  This version is based on Argentinian Steak House steaks and is served with my version of chimichurri sauce.

Chimichurri sauce originated in Argentina, and there are probably as many variations on the recipe as there are Argentinians.  Many are bright green, some are brown, and there are even red versions.  But the star of all of these remains parsley and garlic.    Texture is also critical for a true chimichurri sauce - this is not a puree.  Some people won't use a food processor to make sure they maintain the texture.

I like a bit of heat, as I may have mentioned, so I added a jalapneo to mine.  Not traditional.  I also don't have the time to chop everything.  OK, perhaps it is the patience that I lack...  At any rate, I did use my food processor.

This is a fantastic sauce.  Make a double batch so that you can use it on just about everything.  I made a fritatta with the leftover steak, and this sauce was amazing over it.

Everyone has their own taste for this sauce.  I like a realy bright, fresh green sauce, so I don't let it keep for a couple of weeks.  But it does keep in the refrigerator for that long and longer, and the flavor just deepens.  Remember, flavor and texture are what makes chimichurri what it is: a tangy, salty, pungent, slightly spicy and oily delight!

Argentinian Steak and Chimichurri Sauce

by Susan @ Love in the Kitchen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes (plus marinate time

Keywords: grill entree beef parsley garlic Argentinian

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Ingredients

For the Chimichurri Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 2 tablespoons shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

For the Steak

• 1 seranno pepper, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 1/2 pounds flat-iron steak (London Broil also works well here)

Instructions

• Place all chimichurri sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until well chopped, but not pureed. Set aside.
• Mix all ingredients for the steak in a glass baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. Marinate steak in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or as long as twenty four hours.
• Place the steak directly over a hot grill, until the meat reaches the desired degree of doneness. Remove the steak from the grill, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain. 
• Spoon chimichurri sauce over steak. (this versatile sauce is brilliant on any grilled fish or chicken, or over eggs or even on a piece of toast)

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Fresh Lemonade with Watermelon Ice

Is there anything more refreshing on a hot summer day than a tall glass of sweet, delicious lemonade?  THis classic recipe is easy to make (you can even skip the step that requires heating the sugar if you are short on time - simply stir the sugar into the water until it dissolves).

Using frozen watermelon instead of ice cubes keeps the lemonade from getting watered down.  And you get the added benefit of eating the watermelon when you are done... infused with lemon-y goodness!

We've got a dwarf Meyer lemon tree.  Meyer lemons are naturally a bit sweeter and have a strong, almost herbal fragrance.  We use those when making our lemonade, but any fresh lemons will be fine.

Fresh Lemonade with Watermelon Ice

by Susan Zentmyer

Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus 2 hours for freezing

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Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 8 cups water
• 2 cups lemon juice
• 2 cups watermelon cubes

Instructions

• Put the watermelon into gallon-sized plastic freezer bags so that the watermelon is in a single layer. Lay the bags flat in the freezer, and freeze until frozen through, about 2 - 4 hours.
• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.
• In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.
• Serve in tall glasses, with several frozen watermelon cubes.

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In the Garden - Week of September 27, 2013

We've certainly had one hot summer here in San Diego.  And that isn't only the weather!

How do you like this sampling of hot peppers - Anaheim, Serrano, Habanero, Cayenne, Cherry, Jalapeno....  quite a basket of heat.

But the bulk of the heat is here:

A whole lot of Ghosts!

Looks like we are in for a hot fall and winter too!  Here's our year's summary so far:

Item	Weight lbs.
Anaheim Pepper	0.80
Basil	0.75
Boysenberries	0.48
Broccoli	0.18
Carrots	4.07
Cayenne Peppers	1.76
Cherry Peppers	0.19
Fresno Peppers	0.13
Ghost Peppers	3.17
Habaneros	0.93
Jalapeno Pepper	1.94
Lemons	5.48
Oyster Mushrooms	1.18
Peas	5.2
Potatoes	11.71
Scorpion Peppers	0.31
Scotch Bonnet Peppers	1.33
Serrano Chiles	1.41
Strawberries	5.59
Sweet Bell Peppers	2.81
Tomatoes	3.52
Grand Total	52.24

What's coming up in your garden this week?   I've linked up with Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday and An Oregon Cottage's Tuesday Garden Party ... hop on over and see what is popping in gardens around the world this week.

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Chive Blossom Vinegar

Famous chefs and foodies alike know something the average household cook may not — they’re in tune to that spark, that perfect balance of flavors that makes a dish come alive. That spark, or secret if you will, is none other than vinegar.

So what exactly is vinegar? It gets its name from the French word vin aigre, meaning sour wine, which is an explanation of the original process. Wine becomes sour and turns to vinegar. So, vinegar is just a sour liquid made from the fermentation of sugar to alcohol and alcohol to vinegar.

Just a splash of vinegar adds a punch of flavor to almost any dish.  And you can tailor that punch by using flavored vinegar.  Herbs and white wine vinegar are perfect flavor companions, and is a great way to use those extra herbs from your garden!  I've made Chive Blossom Vinegar here to show you just how easy it is to make.

Chive Blossom Vinegar

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
2 1/2 cups chive blossoms, snipped right beneath the head

Directions:

Heat the vinegar in a small saucepan over low heat until hot.

Meanwhile, rinse the chive blossoms in a bowl of cold water, drain and shake off any excess water.  Return the blossoms to the bowl.

Pour enough of the warm vinegar into the bowl, submerging the blossoms.  You can use a metal spoon to push down any errant blooms that want to float up over the top.

Let the vinegar cool, then pour into a bottle (I use the same bottle that the white wine vinegar came it for this).  Stuff any chive blossoms that don't pour, into the bottle.  Put the top on the jar and close tightly.

Place the container in a dark, cool spot. This infusion benefits from at least 1 to 2 weeks of steeping.

When you’re happy with the strength of the vinegar, strain it through a fine sieve and toss the spent blossoms. Pour the vinegar into your favorite glass sterilized bottle with a rubber stopper (or reuse the same bottle).

This has such a lovely light purple color and onion-y, chive-y tartness - you'll love it in salad, but use it to boost the flavor of your spaghetti sauce or sprinkle over your french fries or baked potato.  Any way you use it, you'll be happy you made it!

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In the Garden - Week of August 18, 2013

Lots of red in my harvest this week.  Aside from the hot peppers (and we've got plenty of those!) we had lovely red strawberries, our first batch of red potatoes and some tomatoes!

Though our tomato harvest is not going to be very plentiful this year, at least the few we are getting are beautiful.

Item	Weight lbs.
Anaheim Pepper	0.25
Basil	0.75
Boysenberries	0.48
Broccoli	0.18
Carrots	4.07
Cayenne Peppers	0.63
Cherry Peppers	0.19
Fresno Peppers	0.13
Ghost Peppers	0.66
Habaneros	0.16
Jalapeno Pepper	0.73
Lemons	5.48
Oyster Mushrooms	1.18
Peas	5.2
Potatoes	11.71
Scorpion Peppers	0.31
Scotch Bonnet Peppers	1.33
Serrano Chiles	0.34
Strawberries	3.68
Sweet Bell Peppers	1.52
Tomatoes	3.52
Grand Total	41.80

What's coming up in your garden this week?   I've linked up with Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday and An Oregon Cottage's Tuesday Garden Party ... hop on over and see what is popping in gardens around the world this week.

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In the Garden - Week of August 11, 2013

We've had really mixed results in our garden this year.  The tomatoes have been pretty bad and the corn has been disastrous, but the peppers?  Holy cow!

Sweet pepper's are just beginning to ripen.

This is just one day's worth of hot peppers.  And the (extraordinarily prolific hydroponic) ghosts have not even started to ripen yet!

While the strawberries haven't been exceptional, we get enough for The Mr and me to have a bowl every evening.  They just keep coming, and they are so sweet!

Item	Weight lbs.
Anaheim Pepper	0.25
Basil	0.75
Boysenberries	0.48
Broccoli	0.18
Carrots	4.07
Cayenne Peppers	0.63
Cherry Peppers	0.19
Fresno Peppers	0.13
Ghost Peppers	0.51
Habaneros	0.16
Jalapeno Pepper	0.73
Lemons	5.48
Oyster Mushrooms	1.18
Peas	5.2
Potatoes	10.30
Scorpion Peppers	0.31
Serrano Chiles	0.34
Strawberries	2.69
Sweet Bell Peppers	1.52
Tomatoes	1.38
Grand Total	36.76

What's coming up in your garden this week?   I've linked up with Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday and An Oregon Cottage's Tuesday Garden Party ... hop on over and see what is popping in gardens around the world this week.

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In the Garden - Week of June 23, 2013

We got the last of the peas for a while I think.  We have some plants still growing, but I think it is starting to get to be a little too hot for them.

But the peppers are starting to come in - and it looks like we'll have a bumper crop of everything from the way things are starting!

Cherry peppers...

Fresno chiles...

Serrano peppers...

Scorpions....

... and lots of Cayenne peppers.

Plus - strawberries!

Item	Weight lbs.
Basil	0.75
Boysenberries	0.48
Broccoli	0.18
Carrots	4.07
Cayenne Peppers	0.38
Cherry Peppers	0.18
Fresno Peppers	0.08
Ghost Peppers	0.18
Habaneros	0.04
Jalapeno Pepper	0.25
Lemons	5.48
Oyster Mushrooms	1.18
Peas	5.2
Potatoes	9.52
Scorpion Peppers	0.28
Serrano Chiles	0.29
Strawberries	1.1
Sweet Bell Peppers	0.51
Tomatoes	1.38
Grand Total	30.56

What's coming up in your garden this week?   I've linked up with Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday and An Oregon Cottage's Tuesday Garden Party ... hop on over and see what is popping in gardens around the world this week.

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In the Garden - Week of June 9, 2013

Lots of purple in the garden this week.

And the bees love it!

We love the bees too.  And we hope their work will provide benefits for us later in the year!

Item	Weight lbs.
Basil	0.75
Boysenberries	0.48
Broccoli	0.18
Carrots	4.07
Cayenne Peppers	0.23
Ghost Peppers	0.18
Habaneros	0.04
Jalapeno Pepper	0.25
Lemons	5.48
Oyster Mushrooms	1.18
Peas	5.01
Potatoes	9.52
Scorpion Peppers	0.21
Serrano Chiles	0.05
Strawberries	0.85
Sweet Bell Peppers	0.51
Tomatoes	1.38
Grand Total	29.38

What's coming up in your garden this week?   I've linked up with Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday and An Oregon Cottage's Tuesday Garden Party ... hop on over and see what is popping in gardens around the world this week.

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In the Garden - Week of June 2, 2013

Berry season has begun!

We've had a couple of boysenberries...

... and a few strawberries from our new plants.

We also had a couple of funny-shaped jalapeno peppers.

I dug up the last of last fall's potatoes.  And planted a bunch too!

And perhaps our strangest harvest this week - oyster mushrooms!  I'll let you know how they taste.

Item	Weight lbs.
Basil	0.75
Boysenberries	0.48
Broccoli	0.18
Carrots	4.07
Cayenne Peppers	0.23
Ghost Peppers	0.18
Habaneros	0.04
Jalapeno Pepper	0.25
Lemons	5.48
Oyster Mushrooms	1.18
Peas	5.01
Potatoes	9.52
Scorpion Peppers	0.21
Serrano Chiles	0.05
Strawberries	0.85
Sweet Bell Peppers	0.51
Tomatoes	1.38
Grand Total	29.38

What's coming up in your garden this week?   I've linked up with Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday and An Oregon Cottage's Tuesday Garden Party ... hop on over and see what is popping in gardens around the world this week.

Pin It