Fresh Salads, Soups and Sauces

After creating and perfecting the ultimate grilling menu, relax and try something simple.  Perfect with everything:  poultry, seafood, beef, veal, pork, lamb, and vegetables.

If Steven Raichlen could use only one marinade for the rest of his life, it would be this one.  Redolent with garlic, piquant with fresh lemon juice, and fragrant with extra-virgin olive oil, this marinade instantly transports you to the Mediterranean. He can't think of a single food that doesn't taste better bathed in it. You can use it as both a marinade and a basting sauce. If marinating poultry, meat, or seafood, simply set aside a portion for basting.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp hot pepper flakes
• ½ tsp cracked black pepper
• ½ tsp coarse salt (kosher or sea), or to taste
• 4 strips of lemon zest
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a cleaver or minced
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, or a mix of all four
• ½ cup California Olive Ranch extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Combine the lemon juice, hot pepper flakes, cracked pepper, and salt in a nonreactive (glass, ceramic, or stainless steel) bowl and whisk until the salt crystals are dissolved.
2. Add the lemon zest, garlic, parsley, and basil. Stir or whisk in the olive oil. 

Note:  The virtue of this marinade is its freshness: Use it within 1 to 2 hours of making. Stir again before using.