Summer steak and beans!
Grilled steak with stewed string beans and burst cherry tomatoes
I turned 34 last week, bringing with it the standard, yet always surprising, existential crisis surrounding the day. I think it’s one of my most annoying traits that I can’t seem to outgrow being just a little emo on my birthday.
I worked, heard from loved ones, and went out with my husband for a slew of small plates, getting buzzed-plus off a single Negroni and glass of Tempranillo. I opened presents and saw a preview of a custom tote bag coming in the mail next month—one that I’ve been lusting after for a while now. By any measure, a great day. Yet to be honest, I was in a bad mood for half of it. Every year I look forward to the date, only to feel a rush of relief once it’s over. Does anyone else like the lead-up to their birthday better than the actual day?
Part of it is because my birthday marks the turn of late summer—the most bittersweet time of year. We spend months pretending we have the full gamut of summer produce at our fingertips, but in reality (in the Mid-Atlantic, anyway), tomatoes and peppers only hit their stride late July through September. The peak sweetness of the season happens just as it’s about to say goodbye.
This dish celebrates that peak. It asks you to grill—a pleasure once the humidity starts to break—and open a bottle of white wine to use in cooking down cherry tomatoes with garlic until jammy.
The real star, however, is the string beans: blistered in hot olive oil until tender-crisp, almost like wok-charred veggies. Use whatever you have—green beans, haricots verts, Romano, or wax beans. They pair beautifully with grilled steak, but they’re just as happy next to chicken (especially with this balsamic marinade or herby marinade), lamb kabobs, or shrimp. A true plays-well-with-others summer side.
By the way, this post isn’t sponsored by DuMol Winery, but I worked with them this month to promote their Fall release. It’s one of my favorite wineries in Sonoma Valley and if you’re interested in trying them, you can get complimentary shipping on their wines by shopping through this link. Not sponsored just passing that along!
