#gremolata

Beef Stew with Gremolata 

Many people find cooking at home to be intimidating. But that's precisely why I enjoy searching for and utilizing all of these shortcut ideas to make amazing renditions of traditional recipes. A beautiful dinner that will wow your special dinner guest, made much better if it comes together quickly.

The green garnish on top of this meal is called Gremolata. Garlic, lemon zest, and chopped parsley are the ingredients of gremolata. This dish was transformed into an incredible, incredibly delicious stew with a simple addition.

“If you're afraid of butter, use cream.”― Julia Child

I made the dandelions that I foraged this afternoon into Gremolata which I use as a condiment in baked potatoes and in soups. As the dandelions had already flowered the greens were quite bitter (think arugula) and a little bit goes a long way.

I knew I wouldn’t use it all at once so I decided to freeze most of it. Using ice cube trays, I topped each cube with more olive oil. Once it was frozen I popped the cubes out and individually wrapped each in a little plastic wrap and put them in a labeled and dated freezer bag.

Green sauces are a class of uncooked “condiments” made with a bunch of herbs, but they’re not necessarily saucy. Gremolata is a type of Italian green sauce traditionally made with parsley, lemon zest and garlic, with regional variations. It’s often used on meat but I wanted to give roasted squash a different treatment by pairing it with a sunflower seed gremolata. It brightens up something that is traditionally very hearty...and depthless.

Now hear me out: I always want a little acid with my squash, whether this is lemon zest, orange, or tomatoes. I guess that’s why I’ve never been a fan of marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes because it’s just sweet and boring to me. I want a flavor party!