THE RESTORATIVE POWER OF BRUNCH AND CHIMICHURRRI

CHRONICLE: ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO FEBRUARY, 2024

Sunday brunch with a friend is my idea of a good time.

I moved back to Albuquerque in 2022 after a five-year absence. It’s been hard to re-connect with people. The solid friendships I had before moving to Vienna, Austria, and subsequently Idaho Falls are solid, well maintained, supportive. But five years is just long enough for casual, shorter lived friendships to wither.

I thought it would be easy to re-connect with people here before I moved back. Now I realize how my expectation about simply picking up where I left off has been naïve, fueling a sense of disconnection. Change is inevitable and happens to everyone. I’ve decided it’s time to stop beating myself up about my naiveté, my sense of loss. Instead, I’m trying to embrace opportunities for new connections.

So, I consider myself lucky to have re-kindled a friendship. I’ve discovered that our experiences during my absence from Albuquerque are varied but similar. Spending time together, catching up bit by bit over brunch or coffee­– endless coffee–has been restorative.

It’s also been fun, enjoyable, easy to find common ground in the sharing of life’s changes. We’ve each found fulfilling work and are both frustrated with circumstances and health issues beyond our control. We’re also both experiencing the loneliness that comes with dwindling friend groups.

Here's where chimichurri comes into play. It’s not as much of a head scratcher as you might think.

Chimichurri is a quintessential fresh herb sauce hailing from Argentina served alongside barbecue and a variety of grilled meat or poultry. Made from pantry staples plus chopped fresh parsley, bright green chimichurri is one of the most versatile condiments you can make.

And just like a good friend who you can confide in and talk to about anything and everything, Chimichurri pals around with meat, poultry, fish, egg dishes, roasted vegetables, is perfect swirled into yogurt or sour cream for use as a dip. You get it. Chimichurri is friends with it all.

It's been a while since I made chimichurri. I’m not sure why it’s fallen off my radar. It’s delicious and I love making it. So why have I not made it in years?

Maybe it’s not that different from re-connecting with an old friend, or even an acquaintance you don’t see or talk to often but who when you do connect, you remember how good it is to be in touch with that person. Chimichurri is bright green, flavorful, vibrant, just like the people you want to surround yourself with.

Not only is Chimichurri versatile, it’s also easy to make substitutions on the fly like I did last night. At the moment I don’t have red vinegar in the house, so I used the brine from a brand-new jar of capers and the juice from a Meyer lemon. I’ve got to say, last night’s Chimichurri was better than I remember, especially served alongside some roasted chicken.

I can’t give you a recipe for meeting people, making friends, or feeling connection with the place you find yourself living. All I can offer is a wish.

It’s a little cliché, maybe a bit obvious. But here it is, nonetheless.

My wish for you is to simply be open to the people around you. Every time I’ve been willing to submit to change rather than resist it, I’ve been mostly rewarded with positivity, sometimes even connection.

Here's how to make chimichurri. All you need is a sharp knife, a sturdy cutting board and at least twenty minutes to let the chimichurri flavors blossom into friends.

Chimichurri is typically something I throw together, so the amounts are “ballpark” rather than precise.

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CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

3-4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped, about ¼ cup

2 tablespoons fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more if you like it hot

1 teaspoon capers, if you like them

½ teaspoon Kosher salt, more if you think it’s necessary

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar*

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Chop parsley and place into a mixing bowl. Next, chop the garlic and shallot and add to the chopped parsley. Add the fresh or dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, Kosher salt and stir to combine. Add the red vinegar or whatever acid you’re using. Now add the olive oil and stir again until all the ingredients are combined.

Set the bowl of chimichurri aside for at least twenty minutes while you sip a glass of wine, fire up the grill, make a salad, or set the table.

*If you don’t have red wine vinegar, you can use a combination of fresh lemon juice and caper brine. White wine vinegar will do. Distilled white vinegar will work too, but won’t add as much flavor.