Lola Rugula

Every now and then I like to share a quick and easy recipe post and this is one of them.  I made a simple oven-roasted rack of lamb over the weekend; a rack of lamb that was meant for the grill but the seemingly never-ending rainy weather here had different ideas. If you want to know how to roast a rack of lamb in the oven, I give you the basics here with my Herb and Garlic Crusted Rack of Lamb.

I don’t have any complaints about an oven-roasted rack of lamb because believe me when I say I’ve done it many, many times and it always turns out perfect. But it’s summer after all and I love to take advantage of the grill when I can. Sigh. So be it. Thanks, rain.

My real ode to summertime here is my mint gremolata, which I love to make when I can take advantage of all of the parsley and mint growing in my garden. I will preface the following by saying classic gremolata is 3 simple ingredients which I (almost) always have on hand: garlic, parsley, and lemon zest. Trust me when I tell you that classic gremolata will elevate so many dishes that you make that it’s practically a sin not to serve it often and in abundance. In a classic gremolata though, there’s no lemon juice, olive oil or mint involved at all. This is my minty play on gremolata, maybe more of an Italian chimichurri if you will, but we love it with lamb (and steak, and chicken, and stirred into soup) and I’m finally finding time to share my recipe for it. If you want to know how I make chimichurri, which we also consume in abundance, here’s my recipe for it.

My recipe here is just enough to serve aside a (1 & 3/4 lb) rack of lamb or a skirt steak. It’s a recipe made for two but it can certainly be made into a larger batch if needed. I admit that I typically use my mini food processor to make quick work of this but you have to be careful not to pulverize everything if this is the route you take. You want to still be able to see some semblance of the herb leaves, garlic bits, and lemon zest and not have it be pureed to a soupy green liquid.

Mint Gremolata Recipe

• 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 cup slightly packed fresh parsley leaves – use flat leaf parsley if you can
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• Juice of 1 lemon, about 1 teaspoon
• A pinch of kosher salt
• About 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Zest of one (preferably organic) lemon

Directions

• In a mini food processor, mince the garlic cloves
• Add parsley and mint and pulse just until you can no longer see any large, full leaves
• Add fresh lemon juice and salt and pulse a few more times – you may need to scrape the sides of the processor bowl to make sure everything is chopping evenly
• Add olive oil, starting with just 1 1/2 tablespoons, and pulse a few more times. Add lemon zest and if you want it smoother, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Pulse just until gremolata is well blended but still a bit chunky
• Spoon into a dish and serve immediately

That’s it! It’s so easy but so herby and delicious. There’s just enough of a hint of fresh mint without being overpowering, while the little bit of fresh lemon juice helps to keep everything bright green and fresh.

If you want something simple to brighten up almost any dish, this is your stuff, this is your condiment. We sop this stuff up served alongside or on top of chicken, lamb, pork, and beef, plus drizzle it on salads and soups. We’ve even drizzled it on sandwich toppings so trust me when I say the sky’s the limit.

I always tell you don’t be afraid to play with your food so don’t stop here. If you want to add a few pine nuts or walnuts and make this into a minty parsley pesto, have at it. (You can find my classic basil pesto recipe here). You can also sprinkle in some red pepper flakes for a bit of heat or add lime zest and lime juice instead of lemon if you want to play with the flavor a bit.

No matter how you make this, not only is it a good way to use some of your summer herbs, it’s also a delicious and healthy way to highlight almost any meal.

Enjoy!