Grow your own grass ... lemongrass, that is
This citrus-flavoured herb can be cultivated at home
Almost everyone I’ve encountered lately is talking about grass. From cutting the grass to how brown the grass is, how we need rain to grow the grass and of course the legalization of it. There is another type of grass that I want to get people talking about and that’s Cymbopogon more commonly known as Lemon Grass.
Lemongrass is a tropical member of the grass family and is typically used in India for its medicinal properties and adds a refreshing citrus flavour to Asian and African cuisines. Although it is not commercially grown in Ontario as our winters are too cold to allow this perennial herb to survive. It can, however, be cultivated at home over the summer months and into early fall. I planted some at the end May and have been using my homegrown lemongrass in iced teas and marinades for grilling meats and vegetables.
I grew my lemongrass from stalks that I purchased at Mihn’s Chinese Grocery Store on George St. in Peterborough which has some of the freshest lemongrass and other Asian vegetables to be found in the area. When I got the stalks home I trimmed off all of the excess foliage leaving the stem whole and intact. I then placed the lemongrass stalks in a mason jar half-filled with water and set them out on the deck in full sun. Every morning I changed the water and after about five days they began to sprout new roots and leaves. Once the roots were 2-3 inches long I planted them in a wide pot in soil. The plant divided itself into new stalks regenerating it repeatedly.
If grown in ideal conditions lemon grass can reach a height in excess of a meter, however I cut mine off a couple of centimeters above the soil after 6 weeks and use the freshly harvested stalks in the kitchen. The plant will divide itself and regrow in a months’ time.
Pick up some lemon grass to grow your own or simply to be used in the follow recipe for Banged Up Barbecue Chicken which can be used for fish, meats or vegetables.
Banged Up Barbecue Chicken
4 lemongrass stalks, minced
1 small cooking onion, coarsely diced 2 green onions, coarsely diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice 2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
½ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tbsp. cooking oil
4 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Method: In a food processor pulse the lemongrass, onions, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and cooking oil into a smooth paste. Place the chicken breasts with the lemon grass paste into a re-sealable plastic bag, squeezing out the excess air and seal it. Using a meat mallet gently pound the paste into the chicken while flattening out the chicken to an even thickness. Place the sealed bag in the fridge for an hour or two, letting the meat marinate.
Pre-heat you barbecue on a mediumhigh setting and remove chicken from marinade, scraping off the excess. Cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides, about 6–8 minutes per side. Let the chicken rest 2-4 minutes before serving. Serve the Banged Up Barbecue Chicken with rice and lime wedges.