Recipes | Guastello's Village Market

Recipe Ideas from Our Family to Yours…

Scroll to the bottom for a listing by category from Appetizers to Desserts! Bon Appetit!

Using Fresh Herbs!

Fresh herbs have the ability to elevate a dish to the next level, livening it up with a hit of freshness before serving, or adding a delicious depth of flavor throughout cooking.

Herbs are so easy to grow; whether you live in the city or the country, the sixteenth floor or in a basement flat, it doesn’t matter! Just stick them in your garden, window-box, terracotta pot – even a bucket – and you’ll have a never-ending supply of your favorite flavor-boosts.

Herbs can be classed as being either woody herbs, like rosemary and thyme, and soft herbs, like basil, coriander and parsley. Woody herbs are tougher and are generally too powerful to be eaten raw. Instead, they’re usually cooked alongside whatever they’re intended to flavor and are often removed before serving. Soft herbs aren’t quite as strong as woody ones – they can be eaten raw in salads, or scattered over and stirred into cooked food.

There are few things as inspiring as a beautiful bunch of fresh herbs. We love you, salt and pepper, but only fresh herbs have the special power to transform a dish with nothing more than a few small leaves. It’s fun to buy beautiful bouquets of fresh parsley, sage, and thyme on your Sunday market trip, and to envision all of the beautiful meals you will make in the coming week. But what happens by the time Thursday rolls around, and those perky green herbs have turned wilted and swampy in the fridge, just when you’re about to whip up a batch of pesto?

Say goodbye to dull, limp herbs. Here’s how to keep your fresh herbs fresh all week long.

Soft herbs like to be treated like a bouquet of flowers. Snip the bases of the stems and put them into a glass of fresh water, changing out the water every day or two if it starts to cloud. Basil should be kept at room temperature, but other soft herbs should be loosely covered with a plastic bag, then placed in the fridge.

Store your hard herbs by wrapping them first in a damp paper towel, then loosely in plastic wrap before placing them in your crisper. If you’re going green, a damp kitchen towel and an airtight container work perfectly well.

A final tip: Don’t wash fresh herbs until they are ready to be used — it will add excess moisture and waste time.

This summery pasta sauce, Pasta with Creamy Cherry Tomato Sauce is easy enough for a weeknight, but special enough to make for friends. It relies on a boatload of cherry tomatoes, which get quickly charred in a skillet, then spruced up with anchovies, garlic, and red pepper flakes (feel free to ditch the anchovies to make this vegetarian). The secret to it being creamy but not too creamy? Half-and-half, which is just what it sounds like: half cream, half milk. Just before you eat, top the pasta with plenty of fresh herbs: Basil is classic, but try mint, parsley, and oregano, too.

“Fresh herbs really belong anywhere you put them.”
~ Alex Guarnaschelli

Chimichurri!

What is Chimichurri?

Originating in Argentina and Uruguay, chimichurri is an uncooked condiment that is typically served brushed, basted, or spooned onto food (most often meat like chicken and steak) as it cooks. It may also be served on the side or used as a marinade (highly recommended – best marinade ever).

Served at room temperature, this delicious green sauce is made with fresh parsley, garlic, oregano, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and red chili flakes and tastes delicious with chicken, steak, drizzled over veggie skewers or tossed with tender roasted cauliflower.

While this green-colored chimichurri (chimichurri Verde) is the better-known version of chimichurri here in the states, you may also find a red chimichurri (chimichurri Rojo) made from a combination of red bell pepper, red onion, flat-leaf parsley, garlic, oregano, paprika, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.

Many non-authentic versions of this condiment can also be found. Versions which include fresh cilantro…and cumin…and lime juice. Most likely very delicious, they are not considered authentic.

Now, some people say that it tastes best when enjoyed the day it is made, while others say it is better once the flavors have had the night to blend.

My opinion? Chimichurri tastes best the day you make it. The very best after it has hung out for 30 minutes or so. A night in the refrigerator doesn’t make a huge difference except that the parsley tastes like it may have lost a little of its freshness (probably because it has). Day three and day four chimichurri continues to lose even more freshness, largely due to that parsley, so I recommend enjoying within 1-3 days.

Chimichurri a traditional Argentinean condiment to serve with steak or grilled meats. ALL steak loves being topped with or marinated in chimichurri sauce. But that’s not all… chicken, shrimp, and fish all love a little drizzle or spoonful of this traditional recipe, too! It’s perfect for grilling, roasting, or dipping.