We eat a lot of red meat on the farm, and I’m always looking for ways to integrate fresh herbs and veggies in the summer, when heavier buttery sauces feel a bit too rich for the hot weather and long days outside.
Enter this amazing chimichurri, loaded with fresh herbs from the farm, and a kick from infused vinegar. Every year when our chives show off their blossoms, I make chive blossom vinegar- simply pick the blossoms of your chive plants and add them to a half pint (or larger if you have enough blossoms) jar. Fill the jar with white vinegar and cover with a lid, then place in a dark cabinet for 3-6 weeks. You can use red wine vinegar in this recipe, but it is DELICIOUS with chive blossom vinegar. Use what you have 🙂
We had an absolute ton of garlic scapes this year, so I filled my food processor halfway with garlic scapes, then added a generous bunch of parsley and 4 large cloves of garlic. Next I added about a quarter cup of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of chive vinegar (red wine vinegar is a perfectly reasonable substitute) plus a few other herbs we had growing well- oregano, thyme, plus a generous pinch of salt and some black pepper. Pulse this in the food processor until it’s well blended.
I have a simple silicone soap mold that holds about 2 tablespoons per section, and I fill this with fresh sauces that aren’t suited for canning. Fresh herbs and fats like olive oil don’t can well, but they freeze perfectly- so I place this filled mold in my freezer for a few hours, then remove the frozen pucks and place them in a labeled ziplock bag. Then when I’m ready to serve, I just remove 1-2 pucks and place them in a small bowl on the counter to thaw. By dinner time I have a great fresh-tasting sauce that is every bit as delicious as the day it came out of the garden.
I like to serve this chimichurri over cuts like flank steak, ranchera (also called flap steak), tri-tip, and even regular sirloins that I’ve seasoned with a bit of paprika, salt, and pepper. Pair this with rice and steamed veggies like broccoli or green beans for an easy dinner.