Skirt Steak Topped with Tomato Bacon Salad

Summer Tomatoes!!!  I can't get enough of the summer tomatoes fresh from the garden.  I'll be posting several tomato recipes through next week.  This time of year I start to panic that these jewels will not be around much longer.  last week and over the weekend, Ben and I started to can so we can enjoy the tomatoes throughout the year.

Each summer we grow cherry tomatoes called sun gold.  They are unbelievably good.  I think I could eat a bowl of them for dessert.  They have so much flavor in such a small fruit.  Here is one of our favorite recipes with the cherry tomatoes.

Skirt Steak Topped with Tomato Bacon Salad
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 red onion diced
1 cup basil leaves chopped
1-2 cups mesculin salad mix
6 pieces bacon, cooked and cut into pieces
2 Tbl olive oil
salt and pepper
1 garlic clove
skirt steak (we use around 1.5 - 2 lbs )

1.  In medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, onion, basil, salad mix, bacon, and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Place in fridge to keep cool while you prepare skirt steak.
2.  rub each side of steak with olive, cut garlic clove, and season with salt and pepper.
3.  Grill steak for about 4 minutes on each side.
4.  Serve steak with tomato bacon salad mix.

Sweet Cherrie Pie

Tippecanoe Farmers Market held their first Pie Bake Off this weekend.  Ben and I spent Friday evening making pie to join in the fun.  I made a sweet cherry pie for the first time on 4th of July this year.  I was curious how it a cherry pie without tart cherries would taste.  I really enjoyed the more mellow sweet flavor.  So we decided to give this one another try.

The contest rules required home made crust.  I have said before that I don't like to make pie crust.  Well, I think I've finally changed my mind.  We used Barefoot Contessa's recipe for crust and it turned out really well.  I also enjoyed the process.  So I may be a convert to home made crusts.

After the pies were judged, the pies were served to all the market visitors.  Everyone seemed to enjoy.

Sweet Cherry Pie
4 1/2 cups pitted and halved cherries
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. almond extract (I actually used coconut because I couldn't find our almond)

Crust Recipe found here

1.  Pit and halve all cherries.
2.  Use 1/2 cup of the cherries and place in blender or food processor with about 1/4 cup water.  Process into a juice.  Small pieces of cherry can still be apparent.
3.  In mixing bowl, stir together cherries, cherry juice, sugar, brown sugar, flour, and extract.

4.  Place in pie pan on top of bottom crust.  Place top crust and seal.