Argentina in Appalachia: Ramp Chimichurri Steak over Salad

This weekend at the farmers market, it was officially spring.  They were selling green things!!!! Officially trumpeting in the season were ramps.  It was pandemonium at the farmer's table, at 10 am I was three people deep trying to get some of these Appalachian "spring leeks." I wanted to make something not on the farmers suggestion board, and came up with a delicious and quick weeknight dinner.

Chimichurri Sauce with Ramps
1 bunch ramps
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil 
2 tbsps red wine vinegar
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp sea salt
a generous pinch of red pepper flakes

1. Cold wash ramps. Slice off bottoms, chop and inch or so off the top.  Remove any slimy outer skins.  Cold wash again. (Obviously, wash your parsley and cilantro.)
2. Combine all ingredients in your food processor or blender.  If using an immersion blender, chop up ingredients and start with the wet ingredients and just a handful of the herbs.  Keep adding until herbs are gone.

Chimichurri Steak Salad
Steak, 1/2 lb - 1 lb of your choosing (Hint: a thin, chewy cut of meat will do just fine)
8 campari tomatoes, 20 cherry, or  25 grape tomatoes
1/4 vidalia onion, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
mixed greens
olive oil
red wine or unseasoned rice vinegar
salt
Chimichurri sauce (recipe above)

1. Set aside 1/2 - 1 cup of chimichurri sauce. Marinade the steak for six hours (or while you are at work) in the remaining sauce.
2. When ready to cook, take out reserved chimichurri and bring to room temperature. 
3. Brush tomatoes with olive oil and salt. Put under broiler until skin blisters.
4. Meanwhile, grill or cook steak in a skillet with a splash of olive oil.
5.  In a bowl, combine mixed greens, avocado, vidalia, and tomatoes.  Top with the steak, sliced.
6. Thin remaining chimichurri with a tablespoon or two of vinegar.  Pour atop steak and serve. Break the tomatoes to combine with chimichurri/steak juices to make a killer dressing for the greens while you eat!

Spring Peas

I am ignoring the fact that I have not even touched my Contracts reading for later today in order to share a little bit of goodness with you.

Pea salad. I know what you are thinking, but hear me out. Sweet peas, herbs, feta... it can't get much better. I have not yet seen any peas at the farmers market, so I used frozen peas. However, the texture of fresh peas would be delightful. I paired this dish with lamb and potatoes on Easter, and it stole the show.

Amy's Pea Salad

Ingredients:
1 1 lb bag frozen, petite peas defrosted (Whole Food's own organic ones are excellent)
1/3 lb good feta Not cow's feta. Not salty American feta. Good feta. (I used Valbreso.) If you can't find good feta, use goat cheese. If you want something more subtle, I think this would be great with ricotta salata also.
1/2 cup of mint leaves, roughly chopped
2-4 scallions, sliced into rounds
1 bunch of radishes, sliced into rounds or cubed
1/2 long cucumber, or one whole short one, sliced into rounds or cubed
2 tbps extra virgin olive oil
2 tbps red wine vinegar

Directions: Get ready for it... combine all ingredients in a bowl. Toss thoroughly and serve immediately at room temperature.  Voila! Low calorie, extremely healthy, and oh-so-springtime.

A tropical spring break (Pt. 1)

There is the Marae,  Philadelphia Museum of Art, image courtesy of Artchive.com

This week is my spring break, so I'm imagining myself to be far away from my Brooklyn apartment, in a French controlled island in the Pacific.  It's the kind of place that Gauguin painted: almost neon colors and, like Gauguin, I am convincing myself that the flora and fauna are untouched by man. 

So, for dinner tonight, I've prepared something exotic and non-specifically Pacific.

For the first installment...

Mango Salad
1 medium cucumber, peeled
1 large mango, peeled (Make sure the mango is not too ripe, as you want it to be fairly firm)
1 carrot, shredded
3 scallions
1 handful cilantro and basil


Dressing:
1 tsp sriracha
2 tbsps fresh lime juice
2 tbsps fish sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar

1. Slice cucumber lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Slice into three inch long sections (you should have 5-6). Slice these sections lengthwise, and then slice the pieces again into somewhere between batons and matchsticks.

2. Do the same with the mango, remembering to use the flat pit to your advantage. (I eat the extras right off the pit. Yes, every time. Does that really surprise you?)

3. Slice scallions into rounds.

4. Toss cukes, scallions and mango into a bowl with the shredded carrot.

5. Chiffonade basil and pull whole cilantro leaves off the stem. Add to the top of the mixture. 

6. Mix dressing ingredients, dress salad lightly, and eat! 

 Clearly, that is what happened here.  I only got a shot of the second to last bite...