The Monthly Menu: Good Green Sauce 🌱

Superiority Burger fries, vegetarian BBQ dishes, and the “fill-in meal” that is farinata.

I’ve been reporting a piece lately that has seen me talking to a couple of small farmers. What do they want people to know for their work to continue, so that they can continue to steward their land? How to cook, and how not to waste food that makes it into their kitchens. These are, to my mind, basically the same skills.

In the spirit of simple cooking that helps you not let things go bad: I like to make a green sauce, usually something like this mint-cilantro sauce, which is itself inspired by the ratios and process of making a Puerto Rican sofrito. What do I do with the green sauce? I flavor bean soup that I thicken up with hunks of lingering focaccia. I make chilaquiles with the bottom of the tortilla bag for breakfast after Taco Tuesday. I toss quick-pickled cabbage in it for lunch.

It’s one way to use soft herbs and greens that are otherwise more, let’s say, esoteric, like radish or carrot greens. I usually blend with garlic, another allium—could be a nice fat scallion bulb, half or a quarter of a yellow onion kicking around, maybe a shallot if I were fancy (I’m not)—salt, and olive oil with an immersion blender right into whatever random jar. Taste and season further as necessary.

Good Green Sauce is a nice back-pocket way to deal with any herb gluts—if you can keep herbs alive, because I seemingly cannot. (They told me mint loves to be neglected… mint hadn’t yet met me, queen of neglect.) Regardless, give it a go.

Good Green Sauce of chives and radish greens.

Onward to what was eaten in and out of the home in May, plus the monthly favorite bottle of wine…