Basic Herb Sauces
Ingredients
- 2 cups picked leaves, washed
- ½ cup olive oil
- garlic to taste
- nuts if you want
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- I also like to add other aromatics, especially hot peppers, capers, and olives, all dependant on the herb (or herbs) used.
- For instance, arugula is used as ‘the’ pesto base in much of Tuscany (basil pesto is a specialty of Liguria) and arugula mixes beautifully with other herbs (mint, for instance) and capers/olives for sauce for lamb or beef and bison.
- Parsley, garlic and capers are magical with grilled fish, as is cilantro, garlic and capers (which pairs perfectly with lamb and pork as well).
- Another great addition is summer savory and tarragon (with parsley) for fish.
- All of these sauces also make perfect dips for vegetables, pita bread, and even (gasp) tortilla chips.
- In fact, all you need to do is add a bit of tomato and hot pepper to the cilantro and garlic sauce and viola!, you have a very tasty salsa!
- The only herbs to be cautious about are the very strong-smelling ones with a lot of oils, such as rosemary and sage.
- These sauces freeze beautifully so they will be ready for your next BBQ feast. And you can even put them on pasta – imagine that!