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Ask The CHef

ASK THE CHEF

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CHIMICURRI – A True Argentine Taste

This is an uncooked sauce of Argentine origin, used both as an ingredient in cooking and as a condiment for grilled meats, fish and much more!.

During our taste testing, Mariah, Joanne, Shelley and I, talked about the ways we already use Shelley’s chimichurri. I use this sauce whenever I want to give a food a South American taste as well as in the traditional way on top of a grilled steak. I simply top a perfectly cooked steak with a dab of butter, top with chimichurri, slice and serve. Other ways to use it are:

  • Add coconut or olive oil to a couple of tablespoons of chimichurri for a marinade for chicken, pork or beef.
  • For black beans and rice, I add chimichurri to my base of coconut or olive oil. I lightly sauté onion, garlic, celery and cilantro stems.(save leaves for the finishing touch) add the chimichurry then add the black beans and let cook gently for at least 20 minutes. Build a bowl with rice, beans, sliced avocado, sour cream and a slice of lime to enjoy a South American culinary journey in a bowl.
  • Add it to sour cream as a dip for tortillas, with mashed avocado to make a quick guacamole. Make it even better by adding CROFTHOUSE FARM’s herb and garlic dip mix
  • Top grilled salmon with chimichurri mixed with a bit of olive oil.
  • Great with roasted or BBQ’D sausage in a bun.
  • When roasting or barbecuing shrimp, baste with a mixture of chimichurri and melted butter.
  • Simply add to rice and butter.
  • Add chimichurri to your favourite chili recipe or even to canned chili to give it a unique zing.

    PLEASE SEND YOUR OWN IDEAS OR QUESTIONS TO dianetsavoie@icloud.com

ONION TARTE TATIN

I had a piece of puff pastry left in the freezer so I decided to try an onion tart, Tatin style!

I used my muffin top pan, smeared (1 Tablespoon) on the bottoms with L’HIRONDELLE FARM’S Caramelized Balsamic Onions. I always have some in the fridge and a spare in the cupboard, as I do so many things with this and just cannot imagine running out. Then I topped that with a half onion face down, covered the whole thing with puff pastry and baked. As soon as it came out of the oven I topped each little tart with Gaie Bleu cheese from La Bergerie aux quatres vents. My absolute favourite. Your favourite blue cheese will do fine as well.

I added a mix of FERME L’HIRONDELLE greens to my plate and simply sprinkled a bit of FERME L’HIRONDELLE’S garlic vinegar and their basil salt so well. I had a beautiful lunch. It feels so food to be eating greens that Shelley and Aaron Shantz forage about their farm and in the woods. The greens growing wild now are just what our bodies need for a spring cleaning.

PLEASE SEND YOUR OWN IDEAS OR QUESTIONS TO dianetsavoie@icloud.com