if i haven't already convinced you, summer is all about the grill. firing up the bbq gets you outside, saves you on dishes and really pumps up the flavor of your food.
and good summer corn is one of my favorite things to grill. after soaking, corn's husk makes the perfect barrier to cook but not burn the corn.
corn's only downside? you don't want to be picking it out of your teeth for the next twenty four. taking the extra step to remove the corn from the cob will save you, and your guests from the unpleasant task of gnawing the kernels off the cob and it gives you the chance to mix in some other great summer ingredients. 

grilled corn salad
serves: 4
prep time: 1 hour
cook time: 30 minutes
total time: 1.5 hours
ingredients: 4 ears sweet corn, husks on. 3 large spring onions. 1 small bunch radish. .5 c cilantro, roughly chopped. 2 tbs olive oil. 1 tbs lemon juice. 1 tbs brown sugar. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 

in the sink or large pot of water, soak the corn for 1 hour.
when you are ready to grill, turn on the bbq to a medium high heat. if you have a charcoal grill, make sure to grill the veggies slightly off of the direct heat.
place the corn on the grill and cook, turning every 10 minutes until the husks are pretty well grilled and the corn is cooked through. 30-40 minutes. 

while the corn is grilling, combine radish, onions, olive oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt and pepper. toss them together well. when the corn is a almost done, grill the onions and radish just until they both have good grill marks. about 4 minutes a side. reserve the vinaigrette the veggies were soaking in. 

when the corn and the veggies are done, allow them to cool enough for you to handle. 

halve the cobs of corn and carefully, slice the kernels off the cob. 

roughly chop the spring onions and radish. in a medium bowl combine the corn, onions, radish and cilantro. drizzle with the remaining marinade, toss and serve cool or at room temp. 

xoxo
a

grilled corn salad
serves: 4
prep time: 1 hour
cook time: 30 minutes
total time: 1.5 hours
ingredients: 4 ears sweet corn, husks on. 3 large spring onions. 1 small bunch radish. .5 c cilantro, roughly chopped. 2 tbs olive oil. 1 tbs lemon juice. 1 tbs brown sugar. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper.
in the sink or large pot of water, soak the corn for 1 hour.
when you are ready to grill, turn on the bbq to a medium high heat. if you have a charcoal grill, make sure to grill the veggies slightly off of the direct heat.
place the corn on the grill and cook, turning every 10 minutes until the husks are pretty well grilled and the corn is cooked through. 30-40 minutes.
while the corn is grilling, combine radish, onions, olive oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt and pepper. toss them together well. when the corn is a almost done, grill the onions and radish just until they both have good grill marks. about 4 minutes a side. reserve the vinaigrette the veggies were soaking in.
when the corn and the veggies are done, allow them to cool enough for you to handle.
halve the cobs of corn and carefully, slice the kernels off the cob.
roughly chop the spring onions and radish. in a medium bowl combine the corn, onions, radish and cilantro. drizzle with the remaining marinade, toss and serve cool or at room temp. 

if you couldn't tell from the soaring temps or lingering smell of barbecue, summer is in full swing. 

wes usually works sunday evenings and we do not have air conditioning, so i've started retreating to my parents house to cook, catch up over cocktails and swim in their pool. 

my parents have a beautiful large yard and plenty of beautiful herbs growing. since i can't seem to grow chives, they are usually a sunday ingredient in one way or another. 

after a busy work week, and a saturday spent cleaning my house, for sunday's dinner i needed a fool proof, low maintenance dish that would deliver in flavor but leave us free from dishes. basically the goal was to spend as little time prepping and cooking in a hot kitchen and the maximum time swimming and enjoying the summer evening. 

this marinated steak and quickly blended herb sauce takes almost no prep time, about 10 minutes on the grill and less than a handful of dishes. 

and it's freaking delicious. win. win. 

herb marinated flank steak
serves: 4
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 10 minutes + 10 minutes to rest
ingredients: 2 lbs flat iron steak (about 1 inch thick). 1 c red wine vinegar. .5 c soy sauce. .25 c olive oil. 2 tbs roughly chopped chives. 2 tbs roughly chopped oregano. 5 garlic cloves, smashed. 2 tbs brown sugar. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp fresh ground pepper.
chefs note: you can easily sub any cut of steak that takes a marinade well. if you can't find flatiron you could use, flap meat, flank steak, hanger or london broil. 

start by patting your meat dry with a paper towel. place the steak in a flat dish and season both sides well with the salt and the pepper. 

in a medium sized bowl, combine the herbs, garlic, liquids and brown sugar and whisk well to combine. 

pour the marinade over the meat, cover and set the meat aside to marinate for 1-24 hours. note: if you are going to marinate the meat for longer than 1 hour, marinate it in your refrigerator and take it out 1 hour before cook time. 

preheat your grill to a nice high heat.
when the grill is nice and hot (400-425f) remove the steak from the marinade and place it on a hot part of the grill. close the grill and sear until the meat has good grill marks. 4-5 minutes. 

flip the steak, cover the grill and sear the other side for 4-5 minutes.

at this point your steak should be medium rare in the middle with some more done parts on the thinner/smaller ends. if you desire your meat a little more done, move the meat to a cooler part of the grill and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes covered. if medium rare is how your prefer your meat, remove the steak after you have seared both sides. when your meat has been remove from the grill, cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 7-10 minutes. 

while the meat is resting, assemble your chimichurri. 

chive chimichurri
serves: 1 cup
total time: 3 minutes
ingredients: 2 tbs roughly chopped chives. 1 tbs roughly chopped thyme (mine had blossoms and they were beautiful so i included them). 1 tbs roughly chopped oregano. .75 c olive oil. .25 c red wine vinegar. zest of 1 lemon. juice of .5 lemon 2 garlic cloves, smashed. 

in a food processor or blender, combine the herbs, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and vinegar. blend until everything is minced and well combined. if you are with out a food processor or blender, you can mince the ingredients by hand and whisk them together in a bowl. with the processor on, pour in the olive oil. once combined, serve over the grilled protein or vegetable of your choice. 

after you meat has rested and the juices of settled, slice the meat into .5-1 inch slices against the grain. drizzle with chimichurri and serve. 

xoxo
a

herb marinated flat iron steak
serves: 4
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 10 minutes + 10 minutes to rest
ingredients: 2 lbs flat iron steak (about 1 inch thick). 1 c red wine vinegar. .5 c soy sauce. .25 c olive oil. 2 tbs roughly chopped chives. 2 tbs roughly chopped oregano. 5 garlic cloves, smashed. 2 tbs brown sugar. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp fresh ground pepper.
chefs note: you can easily sub any cut of steak that takes a marinade well. if you can't find flatiron you could use, flap meat, flank steak, hanger or london broil. start by patting your meat dry with a paper towel. place the steak in a flat dish and season both sides well with the salt and the pepper.
in a medium sized bowl, combine the herbs, garlic, liquids and brown sugar and whisk well to combine.
pour the marinade over the meat, cover and set the meat aside to marinate for 1-24 hours. note: if you are going to marinate the meat for longer than 1 hour, marinate it in your refrigerator and take it out 1 hour before cook time.
preheat your grill to a nice high heat.
when the grill is nice and hot (400-425f) remove the steak from the marinade and place it on a hot part of the grill. close the grill and sear until the meat has good grill marks. 4-5 minutes.
flip the steak, cover the grill and sear the other side for 4-5 minutes.
at this point your steak should be medium rare in the middle with some more done parts on the thinner/smaller ends. if you desire your meat a little more done, move the meat to a cooler part of the grill and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes covered. if medium rare is how your prefer your meat, remove the steak after you have seared both sides. when your meat has been remove from the grill, cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 7-10 minutes.
while the meat is resting, assemble your chimichurri.
after you meat has rested and the juices of settled, slice the meat into .5-1 inch slices against the grain. drizzle with chimichurri and serve. 

chive chimichurri
serves: 1 cup
total time: 3 minutes
ingredients: 2 tbs roughly chopped chives. 1 tbs roughly chopped thyme (mine had blossoms and they were beautiful so i included them). 1 tbs roughly chopped oregano. .75 c olive oil. .25 c red wine vinegar. zest of 1 lemon. juice of .5 lemon 2 garlic cloves, smashed.
in a food processor or blender, combine the herbs, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and vinegar. blend until everything is minced and well combined. if you are with out a food processor or blender, you can mince the ingredients by hand and whisk them together in a bowl. with the processor on, pour in the olive oil. once combined, serve over the grilled protein or vegetable of your choice.