This recipe is inspired by the outstanding cookbook: How to Cook Meat. I love the detailed pictures and descriptions the authors give about cuts of meat, best ways to prepare, and they don’t forget the sides!

Since Brad and I have joined the Marin Sun Farms CSA (I posted more info here) we have been eating both more and less meat. More because we have a certain amount that needs to be consumed within a month or two, but less too because we only eat this high-quality meat or other meat that we know where it came from. So I’m cooking more meat at home, but eating out less of it. I apologize to the vegetarians but I would encourage you to still try this recipe substituting some tofu or just making a big salad with the dressing. Its delicious!

This spice rub is so flavorful I plan to use it quite frequently. And the dressing has such a great tartness and flavor that it accents the meat perfectly. The nicest thing about this dish is the ability to sub in any type of salad or cooked greens you have, and add any veggies you like to the greens. I served the skirt steak over mixed salad greens, julienned cucumbers & carrots. We loved it!

Meat Rub Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 2 T. cracked coriander seeds (use a mortar & pestle)
• 2 T. freshly cracked pepper (or peppercorns cracked in a mortar & pestle)
• 1 1/2 lbs. skirt steak, cut into 4 portions if desired

1. Combine the spices & soy sauce in a shallow dish then add the meat to marinate.  Turn well to coat.

Lime-Ginger Dressing:

• 1/4 c. olive, canola, or grape seed oil
• 2 T. sesame oil
• 1 t. sugar
• 1/2 c. fresh lime juice
• 2 T. minced ginger
• 1-3 t. finely minced chilie pepper of your choice if desired
• salt & pepper to taste

1. In a small glass jar with a lid (or a bowl and a whisk), combine all ingredients by shaking or whisking well.  Add oil slowly to ensure well combined.
2. Bring a broiler to high with the oven rack about 5″ from the heat.

The Dish:

• salad greens, arugula, bok choy, or whatever other greens you enjoy
• 1/4 – 1/2 c. fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 – 1/2 c. fresh cilantro
• 1/4 – 1/2 c. fresh basil
• 1 large carrot peeled and cut into matchsticks (or shredded)
• 1 cucumber peeled and cut into matchsticks

1. Combine salad ingredients in a salad bowl.  Toss with desired amount of dressing and toss well.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil then place the skirt steak on the pan.  Broil for about 4 minutes per side until cooked to desired doneness.
3. Let meat rest for a few minutes before slicing against the grain and adding to the top of the salad on each plate.

This recipe my seem reminiscent of the puntarelle salad from last week. As well it should! I’ve briefly mentioned the mystery box full of winter vegetables that I received from Mariquita Farms early in January. I have decided that dandelion greens are wiley – they did not look the way I expected and as I researched to discover the source of my puntarelle/dandelion green confusion – I had a hard time locating photos that had dandelion greens in the same state mine were. Regardless, locate photos and understand my greens I did!

I opted to repeat my confused recipe with the originally intended greens. And while Brad & I loved the bitterness of the puntarelle, the dandelion is much mellower and a gentle taste on the plate. Egg & bacon really are perfect accents to a lightly warmed dandelion green. That small hit of red wine vinegar sets them all off perfectly. If you can source out some winter greens such as these, I hope you’ll enjoy them fresh as we did!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 pieces of bacon
• 1 bunch of dandelion greens
• 4 T. red wine vinegar
• 2-3 hard boiled eggs, optional

1. Cook the bacon in a medium hot sauté pan until well done.
2. Add the dandelion greens and mix well in the sauté pan. Cook the greens until just warmed, 1 minute. Remove all ingredients from the heat to a bowl (lined with paper towels if they are too greasy).
3. Return the pan to medium heat and add the red wine vinegar. Deglaze the pan scrapping all of the bits into the vinegar. Turn off the heat, return all the ingredients to the pan and toss well.
4. Place the salad in a serving bowl, top with a hard boiled egg if desired. Serve warm.

• Royal Rose
• The Produce Hunter

The other crazy fact of this winter green is that I completely mistook it for a different green in my mad quantities of greens from the Mystery Box we got last week.  Once I put the greens into the saute pan, I realized they were puntarelle and quickly altered the cooking time to nearly zero.  This is a recipe of luck – it could have easily been a disaster.  But the flavor of the bacon moderates the bitter bite of the puntarelle, and the red wine vinegar enhances both just enough to be perfectly lovely.  Add a bit of hard boiled egg to the top if you desire – we liked it!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 pieces of bacon
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 bunch of puntarelle
•  4 T. red wine vinegar
• 1 hard boiled egg, optional

1. Cook the bacon in a medium hot saute pan.  Once it is well on its way, about 2-3 minutes, add the onion.  Cook both until the bacon is well done and the onions are nicely browned.
2. Add the puntarelle and mix well in the saute pan.  Cook the greens until just warmed, 1 minute.  Remove all ingredients from the heat to a bowl (lined with paper towels if they are too greasy).
3. Return the pan to medium heat and add the red wine vinegar.  Deglaze the pan scrapping all of the bits into the vinegar.  Turn off the heat, return all the ingredients to the pan and toss well.
4. Place the salad in a serving bowl, top with a hard boiled egg if desired.  Serve warm.

This recipe comes via Capay Farms. Every week in my organic CSA box they include some wonderful recipes and ideas for using the bounty of the week. I love spinach salad and the salad dressing below is absolutely perfect. I’ve modified their recipe and customized the salad to suit our meal. It makes extra though so you have an easy second salad ready to go whenever you want it.

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 large shallot (or clove of garlic)
• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 T. balsalmic vinegar
• 1/2 T. champagne vinegar
• 1 t. Dijon mustard
• 1 t. packed brown sugar
• salt & pepper

Throw all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Salad ingredients:

• Baby spinach
• Dried cranberries
• Soy nuts
• Mushrooms
• Sprouts
• Goat Cheese
• Anything else that sounds good to you!

Mix all salad ingredients and dressing in salad bowl then serve. This recipe made extra dressing – ready for another day!

I topped the salad with warm broiled salmon for a light dinner. The goat cheese got a bit melty and everything blended together really well.