Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Chimichurri, my Provencal way

We love chimichurri with fish and meat.But we dont like hot, spicy foods. So I adapted the chimichurri to a more mediterranean, provencal taste with herbs and vegetables that grow in abundance locally.

Recipe

  1. A big handful of fresh parsley
  2. A big hanful of fresh coriander
  3. Two cloves of garlic
  4. Half a red sweet pepper, diced into small cubes
  5. small white onion, finely chopped
  6. Olive oil to taste
  7. red wine vinegar to taste
  8. Salt and pepper
  9. A pinch of piment d’espelette
  • Finely chop the fresh herbs.
  • Cream the garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle and add herbs.
  • Add the vinegar to taste.
  • Add the diced red sweet pepper.and chopped onion.
  • Add the olive oil and other ingredients and mix until you have a thick runny sauce.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Finish off with a pinch of piment d’espelette.

A pinch of salt:

  • Use chilli peppers instead of sweet pepper to give punch to your chimichurri.
  • Add other fresh herbs from you garden, reduce the quantitites the more herbs you use.
  • I prefer two different herbs at the most.
  • Add a little white balsamic vinegar for a touch of sweetness.
  • Can be kept for about 4 days.

Serves 8 people

Posted on by Myfrenchkitchen

Homemade pesto

I absolutely adore pesto. But the storebought variety leaves me cold. So, once again I have to say that a homemade product is so much better then what you buy on a shelf in the supermarket. And speak of easy and quick. I make a big batch and keep it in the refrigerator for up to tow weeks. Just make sure you cover it with a layer of olive oil. It never lasts that long though. We use a lot of pesto ; with pasta, on sandwiches, on toasted pannis, with tomatoes and burrata, with salads, soups… just about eveywhere. This recipe makes about one cup of pesto.

Recipe

  1. 60 g fresh washed and dried basil leaves
  2. 60 g finely grated parmesan cheese
  3. 50 g pine nuts
  4. 1 large clove of garlic
  5. olive oil to taste (about 100 ml)
  6. 5 ml lemon juice
  7. Salt and pepper
  • Add the basil leaves, parmesan cheese, garlic and pine nuts to a blender and blend.
  • Add the olive oil and blend to a pulp, not smooth like a sauce.
  • Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper.
  • Transfer to a container and taste for seasoning.
  • Add a layer of olive oil, cover with a lid and store in the refrigerator.

Makes about 1 cup of pesto

Pinch of salt.

  1. Store for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
  2. Add to ice cube tray and store in the freezer. Take as many ice cubes of pesto as you need and defrost. Can be stored for a month.
  3. Use parsley or arugula instead of basil.
  4. Omit the lemon juice, which might add decoloration to the pesto.
  5. Use on sandwiches, in salads, with tomato and burrata or mozzarella, on pizzas, toasted paninis.