The Face of Resilence

Thank you to Mary Silveria for once again capturing both flowers and Martha's Vineyard. As you may know from my blog, I love flowers. I love their faces, the feelings they instill when you see them, the colors and the way they brighten every space. Almost like a smile.

You also may know that sunflowers are my favorite. The way they stand tall, even in undesirable conditions. They face the sun and the light. They are optimists and they are strong. When I lived in D.C., I tried an experiment. I planted 10 sunflower seeds in a window box outside my window in the shower. Window boxes are not deep. It wasn't in the sunniest spot. But....one grew and flowered. That little beauty defied some odds and bloomed. Resilience.

Sometimes when you are faced with something difficult, think of the sunflower. Think of the fields you see all over the world. Think of the seeds that regrow. Think of the strength to face the sun in the rain and wind. Think of the unity and similarity among them, even though they vary in shapes, sizes and colors.  Take a deep breath, know that difficult times pass and soon you will feel only the happiness when you see...the sunflower. (Thanks, Hayley, for these beautiful shots!!!)

Put on Golden by Travis McCoy, featuring Sia and get cooking!

Last night I was craving a summer meal. Originally I was going to cook steak and roast some tomatoes but then I was paging through Bon Appetit and this popped out at me. It was so simple and very, very tasty. A hit with everyone. I served with pierogies.

Dry-Rubbed Flank Steak with Grilled Corn Salsa - Bon Appetit, September 2015
Dry Rub
2T light brown sugar
1T ancho chili powder
1T paprika
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp English mustard powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Steak and Salsa
2T olive oil, plus more for grill
3 ears of corn, shucked
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely chopped (I forgot to use)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 lb flank steak

Dry Rub: Combine brown sugar, chile powder, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, granulated garlic, mustard powder, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl.

Steak and Salsa: Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until lightly browned all over, 8-10 minutes; let cool. (Please note: I just boiled my corn as usual for 4 minutes. I thought it tasted great that way too.)

Cut kernels from cobs and place in a medium bowl.  Add onion, jalapeno, tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice to corn and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Set salsa aside.

Meanwhile, coat steak with all of dry rub, packing on more than once, if needed, and drizzle with 2T olive oil to help rub adhere.

Grill steak, turning occasionally and moving to a cooler spot on grill as needed to control flare-ups, until nicely browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 130 degrees, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.

Return steak to grill just to recrisp (I omitted because I was STARVING) exterior, about 1 minute per side.  Transfer back to cutting board and slice against the grain. Serve topped with salsa.

Enjoy and have a happy day, everyone!