Saturday, March 21, 2026

March Food is Dull. This Sauce Will Help 🎉

Hi, Friends.

A few weeks ago, I stopped by Franklin Square Market in Saratoga to pick up some fish for dinner. Knowing I would be pressed for time when I got home, I picked up a small tub of "housemade" chimichurri, which looked fresh and which I hoped would be a nice complement to the fish.

It turned out to be a nice complement to everything on the table, from the fish to the roasted cauliflower to the bread. The next day, I found myself pouring what remained of the chimichurri into a tub of hummus and standing over the sink, dragging pepper spears and baby carrots through the bright, creamy union.

My mother always makes chimichurri in the summer to serve with steak. It, like the ham sauce, makes everything it touches taste better: it's herby and acidic, and just the slightest bit sweet thanks to minced shallots. My mom uses a recipe from Gourmet magazine circa 2006, which I've shared today on the blog. The ingredients in her recipe are very similar to those in Franklin Square Market's...

... but hers calls for fresh lemon or lime juice (or a combination of the two), whereas FQM's calls for vinegar. In the past few weeks, I've made it in various ways, sometimes with vinegar, sometimes with fresh citrus, and I like it both ways. The beauty of this recipe is its adaptability. I've included many substitution notes in the recipe box.

As noted above, I've been serving this with fish...

Roasted Cod: Olive oil, Flaky Sea Salt, Silk Chili, 550ºF convection roast for 10 minutes.

... but, also as noted, it is delicious spooned over everything you find on your plate:

My son says it tastes like "guacamole in sauce form." He is not wrong. I hope you all find time to make it soon.

I find this time of year to be challenging from a food perspective. I am tired of roasting vegetables, and I've made ALL the soups. Sauces like chimichurri help. Get the recipe here:

Homemade Chimichurri

PS: While I am mostly ready to move beyond soup season, if it is still cold enough next week, I will share one more soup recipe: Mexican chicken soup, which was very easy and which everyone loved:

Review of the Week

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

No-Knead Brioche Rolls

"First attempt, and they were perfect. Followed the instructions (in metric) and the results were impressive. Brioche not too sweet and light but not crumbly. I don't know if I've missed storage advice, there are only two of us, but they will be finished tomorrow anyway!"

— Dawn

7 Springy Recipes to Make Right Now

Mango Pico de Gallo: I associate salsa of any kind with summer, but champagne mangoes, which are small-ish and teardrop-shaped, are currently in season, and they make an excellent pico de gallo. If you see them at the market, I can't recommend this salsa enough.