Tomatoes are the STAR produce item in our garden, and oh how we love them! They are a true celebration of our gardening efforts, and plucking them off the vine and into your mouth is like eating a burst of sweet sunshine. Grandson Lincoln has developed a taste for them too, and has quickly picked up our off the vine habits, popping his little mouth full until the juice is running down his chin. He is learning another lesson on “where food comes from”. With a pretty good crop this year – that continues to produce, we have enjoyed them in a variety of ways. Here are some ideas that you might want to try too. 1) Wild Idea sirloin Steaks, grilled and sliced with heirloom tomatoes, drizzled with basil olive oil, balsamic syrup, a sprinkle of finishing salt and cracked pepper. 2) Invite guests out to the garden for a little off the vine forging. Bring a long a plate of fresh sliced mozzarella, drizzled with pesto and garnished with fresh basil leaves, for an in the garden, finger food Caprese Salad. *Napkins needed, as it’s a bit messy, but super fun! 3) The must make/have, BUFFALO BACON, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich! Order your Buffalo Bacon before the tomato season is behind us! 4) Or, try my new recipe for Bloody Mary Steak Salad! Recipe can be found here: http://wildideabuffalo.com/2015/bloody-mary-steak-salad/ Happy harvesting!
Bloody Mary Steak Salad
My mother recently sent me an idea for a Bloody Mary Steak Salad, which looked and sounded delicious. There are many renditions of this concoction, and below is my take on this fun recipe. Adjust seasonings to your liking to create your own or incorporate pickled asparagus and green beans for additional taste and color! Ingredients for Steak: *Serves 4 2 – 14 ounce Wild Idea Buffalo Flank Steaks 1 – 6 ounce can spicy V-8 juice *If you don’t like as much spice, use plain V-8. 1 – tablespoon salt 1 – tablespoon brown sugar 2 – teaspoons paprika Ingredients for Salad: 1 – small red onion, diced 1 – cucumber, partially peeled (I use a alternating striping method) & chopped 3 – stalks celery hearts, chopped 2 – pints cherry, grape or pear tomatoes, halved or, 3 tomatoes, coarse chopped 8 – large pimento stuffed olives, sliced, reserve 2 tablespoons of the olive juice 4 – tablespoons rice vinegar 1 – tablespoon horseradish 2 – teaspoons Worcestershire 1 – slosh hot sauce, or to your liking ½ – teaspoon celery seeds, lightly crushed ¼ – cup olive oil fresh lime wedges sea salt & fresh cracked pepper Preparation: 1) For steak preparation, rinse steaks and pat dry with paper towels. Place steaks on cutting board and remove any exterior fat or sinew (there will be very little of this). Using a fine tined fork, pierce steaks on both sides at an angle. Place steaks and V-8 juice in a large plastic bag or covered glass dish. Marinate steaks at room temperature for two hours, refrigerate and marinate for an additional 22 hours. Remove steaks from juice, shaking off excess, and blot with a paper towel. Mix, salt, brown sugar, and paprika together and rub into bison flank steaks. Cover and let rest at room temperature for two to four hours before grilling. 2) While steaks are resting before cooking, prepare salad ingredients. Place diced red onion and chopped cucumber in a bowl and toss with two tablespoons of the vinegar and a pinch of salt & pepper. Let rest to slightly pickle for a minimum of two hours. 3) Add remaining vegetables to the onion/cucumber mix and toss. 4) Wisk together the remaining vinegar, with olive juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, hot sauce, celery seed, and olive oil. Pour half of the dressing into the vegetables and toss. Reserve remaining dressing for serving. 5) Pre-heat grill to 500°, insuring that grill grates are clean. Oil grill grates with before grilling with high heat oil or grill spray. Place flank steaks over hottest heat and grill for one minute each side, closing grill lid during cooking. Remove steaks from grill, place on a cutting board, and cover allowing to rest for 5 minutes before cutting. This will give you a medium rare outcome. 6) On 4 plates or platter, arrange tomato salad. Slice steaks on the bias and place on the tomatoes. Drizzle with additional dressing and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime, another pinch of sea salt, and a couple grinds of cracked black pepper. Serve with icy cold vodka with a squeeze of lime and a splash of chilled tonic.