Nasturtium and Steak Salad

Downgrading to a deck as opposed to a full backyard garden has been a bit of a struggle for me this year. I love to garden, and being outside in a beautiful area I have created is one of my top five favorite things. The bonus to having to only plant in pots is that herbs are one of the top candidates, and spending less time on weeding flower and vegetable beds has giving me a new love for growing my own herbs. I have quite the collection this year, including Lavender, Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Sage, Lemon Balm, Mint, and Nasturtium. I have grown most of these before, but Nasturtium was a new herb for me. I got excited about growing it after having the flowers in a bag of salad greens I purchased at our local farmer's market. The flowers and leaves are edible, and have a tart fresh taste similar to a watercress or arugula. They also look gorgeous! My first blooms opened a few days ago, and I decided to make a salad in honor of the farmer's market that had inspired me. I used beef bought from a booth at the market, and all the other produce is either from my garden, the Farmer's market, or the local co-op.

Nasturtium and Steak Salad

1. Heat oil in a sauté pan on medium-high heat

2. Pan fry the steak cutlets, seasoned with salt and pepper, until well browned on each side and juices run clear when the steak is pressed gently

3. While the meat is cooking chop up mushrooms, scallions, cherry tomatoes, and petite sweet peppers and arrange on a bed of mixed greens

4. The nasturtium simple needs to be picked off the plant, the stems, leaves, and flowers are all edible. Add them to the salad.

5. Slice the steak and place in the center of the salad, sprinkle with feta cheese and add olive oil and vinegar, or any preferred dressing

Ingredients

Nasturtium leaves and flowers

2 scallions, chopped

5 cremini mushrooms, sliced

5 cherry tomatoes, halved

3-4 petite sweet peppers, chopped

1 3oz thinly cut sirloin steak

Feta cheese

Salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar