Farmer’s Market Dinner

One of our favorite things to do on a Saturday is to go to a local farmer’s market in the morning and spend the afternoon cooking with the ingredients we found. Yesterday at the Redmond, WA farmer’s market, we found golden enoki mushrooms! I had no idea what they were, but my husband Reed was thrilled that they were only $4, so we had to buy them. They turned out to be unbelievably delicious – earthy with a great texture.

golden enoki mushrooms

We also found an abundance of yellow summer squash, stone fruits, and greens. All we needed was to buy some meat and we were ready to make dinner. We (well, mainly Reed) decided to buy steak, making what started out as a vegetarian meal decidedly not so much anymore.
Our dinner consisted of three dishes: steak with sautéed enokis, green salad with ranch, and grilled summer squash.

Here’s how we did it: first we took the steak out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature, then sliced the squash and tossed it in olive oil, salt and pepper. Next, we lit the charcoal, then mixed up the ranch dressing, grilled the squash, sautéed the mushrooms, grilled the steaks, rinsed the greens, and finally, ate a fantastic meal!

Steak with sautéed enokis

Take the steak out of the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before you plan to cook. Don’t salt and pepper the meat until just before cooking.

Cut the mushrooms from the cluster but leave each mushroom intact. Just before putting the steaks on the grill, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add the mushrooms and a little salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden brown. Transfer to a bowl, check for seasoning, and let stand until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, grill the steak for 3-4 minutes per side (depending on its thickness). We like our steak rare to medium-rare, so we aim for about 2 minutes per side.

Let the steak rest at room temperature for 7-9 minutes and cover with aluminum foil. Transfer steak to plate, top with mushrooms, and serve.

Grilled summer squash

Slice the squash lengthwise into ¼ inch thick slices. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. They need to stand at room temperature for a while so that the squash gives up some of its liquid (from the addition of the salt).

Once the grill is hot, place squash on the grates. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side, or until charred. Transfer to a plate and serve.

Green salad with ranch dressing

Mix fresh greens with Uncle Dan’s ranch dressing (it’s a packet that we mix with mayo, sour cream, and milk or buttermilk) just before serving.