A traditional baste for South American grilled meats but also great with bread or chips (which is how we first ate it – oh wow! – in a tiny Mexican restaurant about an hour south of Tucson, AZ). It turns up everywhere, from roadside barbecue stands to pricey steak palaces, as far south as Chile and north as Nicaragua. No two chimichurri recipes are exactly alike, although the basic recipe contains just four ingredients: parsley, garlic, olive oil, and salt. The version that follows is the one that we have made over and over.

Ingredients (makes about 2 cups):

1 bunch fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, stemmed

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

10 Peeled cloves of garlic or more

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely grated

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup vinegar (wine, distilled or balsamic vinegar)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or more to taste

1 small onion, minced

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

1) Combine the parsley and garlic in a food processor and pulse to chop as fine as possible.

2) Add all other ingredients. Process to mix.

3) Taste for seasoning, adding more vinegar, salt, or pepper flakes as necessary; the sauce should be highly seasoned.

This chimichurri will keep for several days in the refrigerator (you may need to re-season it just before serving), but it tastes best served within a few hours of making.

Chimichurri Variations: Some cooks leave grated onion out of their chimichurris, while others add 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper or fresh hot chilies. I have no aversion to including all three!

Dick’s “Pretty Good!” Garlic at

The Dyer Family Organic Farm, Ann Arbor, MI

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