Summer Steak Salad

August 4, 2013

This is a great summer salad. The steak and cornbread make for a filling entree and as a salad it is fresh, light, and perfect on a hot summer evening after a day’s worth of work.

steak

spinach-garlic-scapes-pea-shoots

My sister’s and I visited a small community farmer’s market in the neighboring town of Manhattan. I found myself a beautiful bunch of spinach and a handful of pea shoots.  If you’ve never eaten pea shoots I highly recommend you do so. Tear them up as you would any other lettuce and toss in with your greens. They add great flavor. And the dainty twisting tendrils turn your salad from simple to fancy. They’d be delicious in stir fries or atop sandwiches. In addition to pea shoots, I also added diced garlic scapes to this salad. This was my first time using them. I was educated by a local gardener and loved the subtle garlic flavor they added to the salad. If you don’t have access to a garden with garlic I just recently spotted them at the local Co-op. I topped all this goodness with a savory dressing that combines BBQ sauce, ranch and balsamic vinegar. I rarely use BBQ sauce and ranch. In fact I really don’t care for BBQ sauce much at all. However, the combination paired perfectly with the steak and cornbread. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

summer-steak-salad

corn-bread

Summer Steak Salad // Serves 5-6
Top Sirloin Steak
1 Bunch of Spinach
1 Bunch of Pea Shoots
3 Garlic Scapes
Corn Bread, for Topping
Shaved Cheese, for Topping (I used a blend of Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano)

Salad Dressing
1/4 c Grape Seed Oil
1 Tbs BBQ sauce
1 Tbs Water
1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbs Ranch Dressing

Whisk together all ingredients until well combined.

Preheat grill. Generously salt and pepper steak. Grill steak to liking. I prefer a juicy steak with a pink interior. After grilling, cover with tin foil and let rest while preparing the salad.

In a large bowl tear spinach and pea shoots. Dice garlic scape (do not use bulb) and add to bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat all greens. Remove foil and thinly slice the steak. Plate salad and top with steak, corn bread cubes and sprinkle with cheese.

Yum!

6 comments

Leave a Comment

  • Gayle Zachariasen
    August 9, 2013

    I am going to try this. Sounds and looks yummy. I, too, am not crazy about barbeque sauce, but I am going to make the salad dressing with it. What brand of barbeque sauce did you use?

    Reply
    • kate
      August 13, 2013

      So glad you are going to give it a shot. It is Kelsy’s favorite salad to date. Since I too am not crazy about BBQ sauce, I borrowed some from my sister’s fridge. She had Cow Camp BBQ sauce. I think we usually get that as a gift from other ranchers. I am sure any decent BBQ sauce would work just fine. Just choose one that Zach would finish up later! Let me know how you like it.

      Reply
  • Jayne
    August 17, 2013

    I learned a new word! I have never heard of garlic scapes… had to look it up. Thanks for the education!! The salad sounds yummy. I like the idea of adding cornbread to a salad. I have never tried that.
    Great food photography in your blog and I really like your pitchforks and pomegranate graphic. Did you design that? It’s very fun…love it!

    Reply
    • kate
      August 18, 2013

      This was my first time using garlic scapes. They are delicious and add great flavor to this salad. Probably hard to find pea shoots right now though.
      A friend of my sister’s designed the new logo for me on a whim. So sweet of her.

      Reply
  • Kelsy
    August 19, 2013

    My favorite, hands down!! Please make again soon.

    Reply
  • Aunt Nancy
    August 20, 2013

    Katie,
    I also have a new salad to share with you. I made it last night for my friend Dr. Nancy TG and she said it was fantastic. Call me for the details 🙂

    Reply
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