A Spring Dinner – Grassfed Beef Steaks with Chimmichuri, Fresh English Peas with Garlic and Pan Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
It is no secret that I love to eat seasonally and that I am a big fan and customer of my local farmer’s market. Last spring I showed you how to make this really nice dinner that showcases the bounty of spring. When you eat more seasonally it is fun to see now how much you really look forward to certain foods during the year. For example fresh English peas in the pod. These little beauties are like the heralds of spring. Just their very color is indicative of the season – beautiful spring green. I felt this meal was so invoking of Spring, that it was worth posting again, now that spring is in full flourish – and also because I really want to win some grassfed steaks!
So this is my entry for the Clean Your Plate Challenge over on Nourished Kitchen . This month’s addition is Grassfed Steaks !
We have been trying to eat as seasonally as possible for the past two years, which can be a challenge depending on where you live. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like we have been doing it for this long, because I am still learning more traditional cooking techniques and adding more and more real food to my kitchen repertoire. This past month for example, I have been eliminating processed sugar and white flour from our diet. When we move to Vermont in 2 weeks, these things will no longer have a place in my kitchen. This way of eating will always be a work in progress, but I feel the pluses completely outweigh the minuses, both in health and taste. That is one other thing I am looking forward to with our upcoming move – even more access to local and pasture raised meat and dairy foods!
As I have mentioned before, Roberto and I are very active people. We enjoy activities like archery, martial arts and weight lifting, among other things. With an increased activity lifestyle over the past year, it has come an increased need for good quality protein and food. I feel like this way of eating has given me not only increased physical energy, but also mental energy, and more balanced emotions.
I paired this beautiful grassfed skirt steak with local fingerling potatoes – another spring veggie. I really loved the combination of these three components – steak, potatoes and fresh English peas.
I also got some inspiration from my fresh herbs out on the porch. I have always wanted to make a chimmichuri sauce – its vibrant green color and fresh taste is very attractive to me on so many levels, and it just felt like it would go great with this meal.
Chimmichuri is typically made with fresh cilantro or parsley as the main herb, but I don’t have either of them growing. So I used what I did have – basil and oregano. I threw these herbs together with extra virgin olive oil, citrus champagne vinegar and a few other spices to make a fabulous tangy and herbal sauce for the steak.
I pan roasted the fingerling potatoes by throwing them in a large pan with olive oil, salt and pepper and cooking until they were browned on all sides. I then thew them in the oven at 425 F for 20 minutes, and tossed them with fresh chives when they came out of the oven. I sautéed the peas with olive oil and 3 cloves of garlic.
It was a wonderful meal full of the fresh flavors of spring!
Chimmichuri
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup citrus champagne vinegar
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 TBS sumac
salt to taste
METHOD:
Throw it all in a food processor or blender and blend until it becomes a sauce and serve it with the steak and potatoes.
kat - April 8, 2010 at 6:59 pm
love chimmichuri sauce, this version sounds really delicious!
Jessica - April 8, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Ahhh this dish looks fabulous!
Haley J. - April 8, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Jenn, this meal is absolutely beautiful! We have a new vendor at our local winter market (no spring veggies to speak of here yet) who is providing grass fed beef. I can’t wait to pick some up and make this!
Cara - April 8, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Such a nice meal! I am really excited to see if and how your meals change when you move up to my neck of the woods – I agree you will have good access to meat and dairy but local produce year round, not so much 😉 I know you’re going to be so creative though and I look forward to seeing that!
DebinHawaii - April 9, 2010 at 1:35 am
Great post & gorgeous meal! I am always so impressed with your dedication to local eating–I try as much as I can here but it is hard sometimes! 😉 Great job on the processed sugar and white flour elimination too.
Rosa - April 9, 2010 at 5:09 am
A perfect spring meal!
Cheers,
Rosa
bellini valli - April 9, 2010 at 7:49 am
Welcome Spring!!!I can still find some local produce such as peas and asparagus. When you find a menu that works and heralds in Spring I believe you have a winner.
Alta - April 9, 2010 at 8:26 am
You have fresh basil already? Soooo jealous! I planted some a few weeks ago, but we’re a long way from being able to use it! That steak looks so great. I love grassfed beef – so superior to the stuff you can find in the groceries.
5 Star Foodie - April 9, 2010 at 10:36 am
An excellent meal! Must put grass-fed steaks on my shopping list this weekend!
Arlene (MOM) - April 9, 2010 at 10:41 am
Dang, girl. It is morning and you have my tummy growling. Good luck with your entry.
Erica - April 9, 2010 at 10:44 am
I love traditional chimichurri!!! Your variation sounds delicious.
kat - April 9, 2010 at 11:07 am
That kind of meal is just making me so jealous. We have about another month & a half until the spring vegetables are ready to eat. For now we are stuck with frozen. Eating seasonably is hard in these Northern climes.
Bob - April 9, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Sounds awesome, grassfed beef is so good. I wish I could eat more seasonally than I do, but since I don’t drive and live in New England it’s kind of tricky. Heh.
D. @ Outside Oslo - April 9, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Don’t you just love spring/summer foods? I remember being so sad last September that summer produce was on its way out for what seemed like a long time, but it’s so great to have it on its way back!
Peter G @ Souvlaki For The Soul - April 9, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Can I say “yum” Like a million times! You have me drooling! You are such an inspiration Jenn when it comes to cooking seasonally…I think you will do just fine in Vermont!
Mary - April 10, 2010 at 11:21 am
This looks like a fabulous meal and one that I’ll certainly try to make. I admire your dedication to seasonal, local eating. I hope you have a fabulous week end. Blessings…Mary
Sarah - April 12, 2010 at 1:19 pm
All I can say is “WOW”! If you ever want to do a food demo with us let us know! Fabulous recipes 🙂