Lemon Fig Chimichurri and Thunderstorms

As I sit here writing, there’s a big storm rolling through. The dogs are sleeping on the couch and there’s a strange comfort to just hang in the kitchen putting together a new recipe.

My two dogs sleeping on the couch — These two love a sleep afternoon on the couch.

Picking herbs in the rain!

We saw the storm coming in on the radar and ran out to take a quick walk, but thunder was crashing overhead, and rain started shortly after we got back to the house. I wasn’t sure if we’d lose power with this one (it’s not uncommon here), so I grabbed a bowl and some scissors, and Beth and I ran back out into the early raindrops to harvest Lemon and Common Thyme from the deck herb boxes, then on to our slowly collapsing barn to gather up some fresh Mint and Greek Oregano, which has pretty much run wild all summer and is now being overtaken by the Bittersweet.

Woods behind our house — The woods behind our yard in Spring. We don’t bother to do much clearing back there!

Bittersweet is an annoyance!

It sounds romantic, but the damn bittersweet (and no, I will NOT give it a capital “B” twice!) has taken over our yard, torn windows out of the barn, removed the door, and is tearing its way through the roof. Last year we ended up with two bouts of bittersweet rash so much worse than poison ivy! We spent days cutting and clearing it from our yard. It had even torn down our wrought iron deck torches and climbed up under an entire section of house shingles as well as tearing down our downspout! This year, since we’d cleared so much, it was at least manageable. We got a few spots here and there, but beyond the barn, and a small stand of Scotch Thistle that grows to 5 feet or more, we’re living in quiet acceptance of the bittersweet, slowly salting it out of our little plot of earth.

A large thistle plant with a bee in the flowers — At least the bees enjoy the thistle!

Time for Chimichurri

But now that the storm is moving its way past us (perhaps with another just on the horizon!), I’m taking time to write down this herb-scented version of Argentinian Pesto or Chimichurri. A great accompaniment to grilled meats, a marinade for anything you’re grilling, and for some, maybe even a dipping sauce for bread, or a dressing on salad or hot pasta. You can actually use it any way you’d use pesto.

We’re making grilled steak tonight, and this is the topping! I’ve put my own twist on it, removing the red pepper flakes and the onion and swapping out the red wine vinegar for fig vinegar, plus my own blend of fresh herbs from the garden. Give it a try, and feel free to use what you have on hand. Where I can, I offered some alternative herbs and flavorings!