Salsa verde falls under the NO FAIL category. It tastes good on pretty much anything – fish, lamb, grilled vegetables, even crusty bread. So when I dug up my little German Butterballs last week I knew just what to do.
Boil. Roast. Top with salsa verde. NO FAIL.
I am an impatient gardener and my little tubers most likely could have used another three weeks to reach their full potential, but alas I was craving potatoes and out they came. My fellow gardeners talk about tomatoes as the gateway drug for gardening. For me it’s potatoes. It’s magic really – put a spud in the ground, cover it with dirt and a few months later you have a potato harvest. Other than a few green leaves above ground the magic happens out of sight.
This salsa comes in many forms and flavors and like many rustic sauces it’s hard to decipher a strict recipe. Substitutions and omissions inevitably occur depending on what herbs are in the garden and which bottles and jars are hiding on my refrigerator door. Use this recipe as a guideline and feel free to add and subtract. Most importantly taste as you go. I’ve made salsa verde countless times. Each time it tastes different, but it always tastes good.
salsa verde
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint
3 tbl capers, rinsed, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 shallot, finely diced
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
juice of 1 to 2 lemons
salt and pepper to taste
potential substitutions and additions:
tarragon, chervil, basil, garlic, olives, scallions, hard boiled egg, jalapeno, anchovies and cornichons
Combine chopped herbs, capers, shallots and lemon zest in a bowl. Add olive oil. Do this to your taste. Depending on how finely you’ve chopped your herbs and how generous you are with your oil intake the amount of olive oil will be different for each person. I generally start with 1/2 cup and add more if the salsa looks dry.
Just before serving add the lemon juice. If you add it too early it will discolor the salsa. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.