Chimichurri is to Argentina what pesto is to southern Italy.  I mean it is really about the same thing.  Chimichurri, (and isn’t that just fun to say?) is usually chopped herbs, languishing in a lovely pool of good olive oil, rather than the more emulsified pesto.  This is a drizzle sauce….  Traditionally chimichurri is made with only parsley, but since when does The Goddess do traditional?  Chimichurri also lends itself well to adding a portion of other herbs and additions—oregano, basil, cilantro, lemon verbena and mint.  These are my favorites and I combine them with parsley, but find your own combination and feel free to stick with all parsley.  I generally use at least half parsley, then add the other flavor(s).  Now in this case, in addition to mint, I’m going to add one of my favorite flavors, I’m positive you’ve noticed this keeps cropping up in all sorts of things…orange.  Get a grip and bear with me.  Not only are we going to use frozen orange juice concentrate (FOJC), but also the zest and just to tie everything together, orange mint!  Orange mint is beautiful, as well as very tasty.  The orange is very subtle, but it also seems to temper the mintiness of the mint just a bit.  Does that make any sense?  Well, whatever it does, it works.  This particular iteration of Chimichurri, works wonderfully well with lamb, but it’s equally at home drizzled over a steak or chicken.  Chimichurri is perfect for the summer grilling season which is upon us.  Without further ado, Orange-Orange Mint Chimichurri—

I combine the FOJC, vinegar, in this case it was white wine vinegar (remember NO WHITE VINEGAR!!), zest, garlic and salt, whisk that all together, then I add some red pepper flakes.  You don’t need to add them, that’s up to you, but I do rather like that little nip of heat.

You may chop all the herbs by hand if you prefer, and frankly I usually do that, just ‘cuz.  Okay, I like to chop herbs and you can control the consistency better when you do it by hand.  But, it works just fine in a mortar and pestle or the food processor, too.  Just watch so it doesn’t become a paste.  If that should happen, then continue on, adding the oil slowly and make pesto, instead! It will still be delicious.

I ALWAYS add the olive oil by hand, as the food processor will over process this and you’ll end up with more of a pesto-like paste.  It’s fine to do that, but this should be a drizzle sauce, not so much of a smear sauce.

Here are some of the mints I just purchased from Woodland Gardens.  This is apple mint.

This is orange mint or orange bergamot.  There is an actual fruit called a bergamot orange…that isn’t this.  This is the herb and a lovely herb it is.

This is Chocolate Mint.  That brownish-purple becomes more pronounced as it starts to grow full-throttle.

This is Curly Mint.  It’s just fun and pretty and minty!

This is Mojito Mint…and a mojito is a perfect use for this lovely leaf.

This is Grapefruit Mint.  It has a citrusy flavor, leaning toward grapefruit.

I think that with flavored mints, there really is less of the “other” flavor (not the mint part) involved and more of a scent, but each of these mints a just a little different and that makes them more interesting.  Sometimes I just love the look of the leaves and the flavors are the bonus.  One other thing, do feel free to tear up some mint leaves and toss them into you tossed salads…they are great little bite to find.

There are still many more “flavored” mints, but these are the ones I grow.  Do find a corner of your yard that you really don’t care if it gets taken over, as mint will do just that.  You can pull our a portion each spring (make pesto!!!) and keep it in check.  You can grow mint in pots, which confines it; it over-winters in pots, at least here in the Northeast it does.

And finally, where to purchase these lovelies…Woodland Gardens has all these lovely herbs and more.  Haul yourself over there and start your herb garden.  Better yet, come on May 28th, for their Thursday Evenings in the Garden, between 5:00 and 7:30.  The Goddess will be there, with some treats to try, including this one we’re talking about today.  But more importantly, you’ll be able to get great gardening advise, purchase some great herbs, vegetables plants and a plethora of gorgeous flowers, too.  They have a great staff, filled to the brim with knowledgable people…you’ll find a new friend there, I kid you not.  Just so we’re clear, I have worked with the Woodland people for several years now.  They do pay The Goddess when she does workshops for them, but I still purchase my plants there, with my very own money!  They are everything I’ve said and more…and that, they don’t pay me to say!