Blueberry Marinade

Lately, I've been challenged to create meals outside of my comfort zone as a chef. These same ingredients I've used my entire career, but in different ways. I've had to step back a bit, learn a few new tricks and educate myself on the true basics of food and rethink everything I know about nutrition and health. I've gone back to the roots of real food and, I must say, created many tasty dishes!

Yes, I speak of a new lifestyle - my newly found  "food love." Even though I'm calling it new, and this is the first time writing about it here, my love for real food has been around for quite some time.  I've gone back to basics by eating real and traditional food - I'd love if you came along with me.

Seasonal ingredients come and go so quickly that we must take advantage of them while they're around. Yes, I know you can go to any large grocery store and find blueberries in the dead of winter or Brussels sprouts in the heat of the summer. Personally, I don't want year-round fruits and vegetables from other parts of the world. They have many air miles, and frankly, don't taste as good.

Local farms are not hard to find.  You'll see many are relativity close by, if your heart is in it. Once you make it to a farm or farmer's market, here are a few things you should look for:

Are they using GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) seeds?
Where dose the produce come from? If you're not standing in the middle of fields of veggies, find out where they're grown.
Are they using harsh chemical pesticides? If yes, walk away quickly!

Most farmers will give it to you straight, and are all-around good people to know.

I was fortunate to came across a grassfed skirt steak, from a local company. Yummy! Although I know quite a bit about different cuts of beef. one thing I have to remember is grassfed beef has a different fat consistency than conventional, grain-fed beef. It should be cooked slow and low, to ensure the juicy and tender flavors it so desires to give. Read more on this here.

Once again, eating seasonal is key.  We happen to be at the peak of blueberry season, so I made a great tangy blueberry marinade - so easy!


Blueberry Marinated Skirt Steak



Ingredients
1 grass-fed skirt steak (8oz or so), cleaned & cut into 6-inch pieces

Marinade
1 1/2 cup washed blueberries
3 ea garlic cloves
1/4 cup ACV (apple cider vinegar)
12 ea black peppercorns
1 1/2 tbsp Brewers Yeast flakes (optional, but recommended)
sea salt to taste








Method
1. Place the steak in a 1-gallon vacuum seal bag or Ziplock
2. Blend all marinade ingredients, pour into the bag with the steak and seal. Let it sit for at least 45 minutes.

(I really wanted to light up the grill for this one... play a bit in my backyard kitchen.  Since the rains were upon me, I turned to my trusty cast-iron skillet.)

3. Over medium high heat, (careful not to smoke yourself out!), season both sides of the skirt with sea salt.
4. Sear the steak about 90 seconds on each side then lower the heat and cook for roughly 7 minutes on each side.
5. Set the steak on a rack to rest for 2-3 minutes. When serving, slice "against the grain."

I served the steak with salad and sautéed rosemary fingerling potatoes - more on that at a later time.

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Beef & Cabbage

As I sit here typing up tonight's dinner recipe, I noticed this would make two posts about cabbage in a  row - and I'm perfectly ok with that.  Farming is seasonal work.  I know these cabbages will only be around for a short while, and I'm taking full advantage!  As consumers, we're used to heading on over to the grocery store, at any time of year, and find pretty much every type of produce imaginable.  We forget, winter produce like cabbage shouldn't be readily available all year long - and especially not in the middle of the hot Florida summer!


Beef & Cabbage
by Chef John N Carminati


Ingredients
Cabbage Mix
1 white onion, sliced thick Julianne
1 medium cabbage, chopped
1 bok choy bottom, chopped (separate from leaves)
1/2 cup scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
salt to taste

Beef & Marinade
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp whole fennel seeds
2 generous pinches Kosher salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp hot sauce
3/4 - 1 lb thinly sliced beef

Method

1. In a medium bowl, combine beef marinade ingredients.  Add beef slices, and let marinate. 
2. In oiled saute pan, sweat onions until translucent and slightly caramelized.
3. Add cabbage, bok choy and butter to the pan and cover.
4. Stir every so often.  When bok choy and cabbage are tender, remove pan from heat and keep covered.
5. In a hot pan, sear the beef until cooked through.
6. Fold scallions into cabbage and add salt to taste.
7. Serve beef over cabbage