Simple Things: August

Vases of herbs. Plates of grilled vegetables. Bowls of fresh fruit. August requires minimal cooking because nature has done the work for you.

At this time of the year, little more is needed than some good salt, lemon and olive oil to bring out the best of most things. Occasionally I add some herbs. The other day I grilled a bavette steak (a flank or skirt steak would be a great this way too). To prepare it, I seasoned it liberally with flakey salt and pepper and sprinkled over whole leaves leaves from branch or two of rosemary before punching it with my knuckles for a good 5 minutes. Not only is this incredibly satisfying, it helps to even the thickness of the steak and I think helps to tenderize an otherwise lean and potentially chewy cut. I then rubbed it with olive oil and grilled over high heat in a cast iron skillet, moving around the the hottest parts of the pan as needed for a few minutes each side. I transferred to a plate, squeezed over half a lemon and let the steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing on a bias or across the grain, any juices that ran out poured over the top to serve.