Maybe your garden is similar to mine right now…and overflowing with parsley! Yum! I knew something delicious has been waiting for me on the horizon…so the other day I decided the time had come to make a big batch of Italian herby deliciousness: GREMOLATA! That being said, I think it is gremolata…it may just be parsley pesto (if you are a gremolata pro…let me know if using EVOO still counts). Either way, it is such a vibrant spread to make anything taste all the more seasonally festive and filled with summertime abundance. I love to put it on pretty much anything and everything…but lately I have been especially loving it with my eggs (either on the side or whisked up with scrambled eggs on the skillet), on sandwiches, just slathered on some toast, or basically anything that comes of the grill.
The other day, I was hungrily searching for something to eat for a post-lunch-pre-dinner snack and the perfect summertime sandwich was born! Leftover grilled vegetables from the previous nights supper, thinly sliced soft cheese, gremolata, and some homemade sourdough. Now it is all I want to eat…ENJOY!
GREMOLATA
If you have made my recipes before, you know I like cooking intuitively best. This is just a rough guideline. You can start with the amount of parsley you have, then add a little at a time until you get the taste you want! (you can also google for another recipe if you want something more exact)
- 1 big bunch of Parsley
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- juice of 1 lemon (and some grated rind)
- EVOO
Add everything to either a mortar and pestle to release the oils, or whiz up in a food processor! Put into a jar and keep in the fridge. Or freeze in an ice cube tray then put into a jar or freezer bag for when you want it in the future.
The sandwich
For the game changing summertime sandwich, first toast your bread. then add a good slap of the gremolata. Then pile on your grilled vegetables (I used corn, red pepper, and zucchini- but everything and anything would be DELICIOUS. I like to marinate my vegetables in a hefty amount of cilantro, some salt, pepper, and EVOO before heading onto the grill). Thinly slice your favorite soft cheese (this is Kurwood Farms Dinah’s Cheese…yum. Local is best!). Sit and enjoy. Alone or with a loved one. Morning, Afternoon, or Evening. Give gratitude to those who grew and cared for the food/ingredients upon your plate (including you, if you are one of the growers!). Celebrate Summer’s abundance!
