1Garlic Clovepressed through a garlic press or shaved through a micro plane
1TbspDijon Mustard
3 TbspRed Wine Vinegar
1/2CupOlive OilExtra Virgin, Cold Pressed. This should be a good quality oil.
2TbspCapers
5Gherkin, small sweet pickles
2Large Handfuls of Fresh Flat-Leaf/ Italian Parsleyabout 2 cups
1Bunch of Basil LeavesJust Leaves, taken off stalk
1Handful of Fresh Mint LeavesJust Leaves, taken off stalk
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper To Taste
Instructions
In a medium-large bowl, combine the Pressed Garlic, Dijon Mustard, Red Wine Vinegar, and Olive Oil.
Finely chop the Capers and Gherkin pickles and add to the mixture
Finely Chop Parsley, Basil Leaves, and Mint Leaves, and add to the mixture. Stir everything together so that it becomes a sauce-like consistency. You may need to add a little more oil. Add Salt and Pepper, and any additional vinegar, according to your taste preference. *If you like things a bit more tangy, you might want to add more vinegar or mustard.
Notes
1. This is a very versatile recipe for any herb combination.
This recipe uses typical summer herbs, but we’ve also used numerous other combinations.
We always use a base of Fresh Parsley or Cilantro, and then add combinations of the following: Dill, Tarragon, Chervil, Oregano, Basil, Mint, etc.
Even the recipe above can be flexible. If you don’t have one of the herbs on hand, just don’t include it, or add more of something else. If you delete an herb, just add 1/2 of the vinegar until it’s all mixed, and adjust to your preference. It’s very flexible.
2. Another great use for this recipe is more frugal in nature. We use it to save any combination of herbs we might not be using before their expiration. The combination of oil, vinegar, and herbs adds another 1-2 weeks to your herbs. It also gives you an additional condiment that compliments almost anything! 3. FISH, MEATS, & POULTRY: We use this on any fish, spooning it over as it just comes off the grill or out of the oven. It’s excellent on chicken, pork, steak, and hamburgers. 4. VEGGIES: This is great spooned over just-cooked asparagus, green beans, zucchini, squash, eggplant, etc. It also makes a good base for a salad dressing-just add more oil to get it to a vinaigrette consistency. 5. BREAD, CRACKERS, CHEESE: we can eat this stuff by the spoonfuls! We spread it on baguette slices or crackers as an appetizer, often adding a slice of Manchego, Pecorino, a dollop of Goat Cheese, or another favorite cheese to make the ultimate bite!