SIDES & SALADS
grilled asparagus with
parsley-tarragon chimichurri
Chimichurri—a garlicky Argentinian herb sauce—is tradition-
ally made with parsley as the primary herb. Here, the addition
of fresh tarragon makes it an ideal partner for meaty grilled
asparagus. Throw some steaks on the grill while you make the
sauce, and dinner is done. Serves 6 to 82 lb. asparagus, trimmed of
tough, woody stems
13 cup plus 2 Tbs. extra-virgin
olive oil
Kosher salt
2 medium cloves garlic
1 cup loosely packed
fresh parsley leaves and
tender stems
¼ cup loosely packed fresh
tarragon leaves
1 Tbs. Champagne vinegar
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
flakesPrepare a high gas grill or charcoal
fire.
In a large bowl, toss the aspar-
agus with 2 Tbs. of the olive oil
and ½ tsp. salt. Grill, turning once,
until just tender, about 4 minutes
total; return to the bowl.
In a food-processor, chop
the garlic. Add the parsley,
the remaining 13 cup olive oil,
tarragon, vinegar, red pepper
flakes, and ¼ tsp. salt and purée.
Toss with the asparagus and
serve.grilled leeks with roasted pepper
vinaigrette and goat cheese
To make the vinaigrette ahead, char the peppers under a
broiler flame instead of a grill fire and be sure to whisk the
vinaigrette just before serving. Any leftover dressing is good
with all sorts of grilled or steamed vegetables and with
arugula, too. Try a combination of red and yellow peppers.
Serves 4 as a first course; yields 1 cup vinaigrette2 small or 1 large red bell
pepper (enough to yield
1 cup roasted)
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
Pinch of cayenne
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil;
more for preparing the leeks
Kosher salt and freshly
ground black pepper
8 medium leeks, root end intact
(dark green parts removed),
halved lengthwise, and
washed
2 oz. goat cheese
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf
parsley or basilPrepare a grill fire. Slice off the
tops and bottoms of the peppers
and make an incision down the
length of each pepper. Flatten
each into one long piece; remove
the ribs and seeds. Char the
peppers skin side down over a
medium-hot fire until the skins
are blackened and blistered.
Transfer to a small bowl, cover
with plastic, and let steam. When
cool enough to handle, remove
and discard the skins. Put the
flesh in a food processor, along
with the garlic, vinegar, and
cayenne; purée until smooth.
With the motor running, pourthe olive oil through the feed
tube in a slow, thin stream. Add
salt and pepper to taste and thin
with a bit of water if needed (it will
be fairly thick).
Simmer the leeks in well-salted
water until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Arrange on a platter and let cool
to room temperature. Drizzlewith olive oil; season with salt
and pepper. Grill the leeks over
a medium-hot fire until charred,
3 to 4 minutes per side. While
they’re still warm, drizzle them
with the vinaigrette, crumble the
goat cheese over the top, sprinkle
with the parsley, and serve.76 GRILLING 2019