Weeknight meals aren’t super complicated around here.  That doesn’t mean they have to be the same old boring flavors that make you want to tear your hair out.  Ok, maybe that’s just me that gets worked up like that.  But I digress.  Today I’m not going to give you so much of a recipe as an idea of how to flavor your next steak and potato meal.

Juniper berries, long used to flavor game in Europe, work perfectly with grass-fed, slightly wild-tasting beef.  Crush a half tablespoon of berries along with equal parts peppercorns for a lovely spicy and fresh fall rub.  Mix in a bit of salt and drizzle the steak with olive oil and let it sit for as long as you have time.   Perhaps you’ll mix yourself a gin martini, since you’re going with the juniper berries on the steak.  Not a bad idea, you clever thing. 

For the potatoes, treat them as you would a salad.  Make a mustard balsamic dressing, perhaps chop up some tarragon for good measure and a single green onion.  Dress them after you’ve either roasted them or boiled them as you would for a potato salad.

Since we grilled the steak, Cherub asked if we could eat outside.  It was a perfect night for it and who are we to say no?  As the cool front blew in we realized that fall is probably our favorite time to grill and enjoy a dinner outdoors.  No being too hot or swatting away bugs.  Just lovely weather, the turning of the seasons and our little family enjoying a meal that celebrates it all.

The grass fed-sirloin was from Flying J Farm and the potatoes from Northridge Organic Farm. 

The playlist included Velcro Shoes, by Pete Yorn.