Gremolata

 My first real attempt at growing my own herbs last summer was only minimally successful. I got a decent amount of basil and some parsley. The cilantro never took and my mint withered. This is partially due to me having no idea what I was doing and the rest I will blame on an extremely hot July. Parsley and basil are the two herbs I use most often in the summer with cilantro a close third, so having those easily accessed in my backyard was very convenient. I can use large amounts of parsley at a time though and my crop was never that abundant. 

I didn't discover this Italian condiment until after summer was over. I used it as a garnish on a new minestrone recipe I tried (and loved -will post soon). Other ideas mentioned for using gremolata were on eggs or on avocado toast. I can imagine both would work extremely well. I'd also like to try it on baked tofu or fish. It's like having summer in a jar. You can add a few spoonfuls to a winter dish and brighten it right up. I know that I will have this recipe in mind next summer when deciding how much parsley to plant.

Gremolata

1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped finely (should be about one cup packed) discard stems

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

zest of 1 lemon

2 teaspoons lemon juice (at least; you may want to add more)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

pinch chili flakes

1. Put all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl and mix well. I mixed by hand. You could also do this in a food processor.

2. Transfer to a jar with a tight lid and store in the fridge.