The other day in Pythagorio in Samos I went to the green grocer and they had great fresh herbs. I often buy them and then nearly as often throw them away as they go slimy in my fridge. So, determined to have as little food waste as possible I thought of what I could make that used a mix of fresh herbs. Chimichuri is an uncooked herb, oil, vinegar and chilli sauce that originated in Uruguay, originally used for meat. I had 2 eggplants that needed cooking as I had kept them in the cupboard rather than the fridge. They last pretty well for about a week that way but it was definitely time.
¾ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
¼ cup chopped mint (it was the end of a bunch but more would be better!)
¼ cup chopped basil (straight off my mosquito repellent basil plant)
½ teaspoon salt
4 cloves of garlic chopped finely
2 spring onions chopped
1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapenos (not much fresh chilli available in Greece)
½ cup of Greek Olive Oil
1/3 cup red grape vinegar (or to taste)
Mix all ingredients together and allow to sit until ready to use. Left overs will keep in screw top jar in fridge for about 5 days.
2 Eggplant cut into thick slices lengthways.
Layer in a bowl/tray/plate with about 1 tablespoon of chimichurri per slice, turn and repeat until all have some herb mix on them.
Grill or BBQ eggplant until cooked through. I have a terrible grill so I grilled each one and then layered them back into to dish I marinaded them in and cooked them in the oven for another 15-20 minutes. You could probably bake them as well.
Top with more sauce and serve hot or warm. They make great leftovers the next day.
Yum….looks seriously delicious!