Grilled Strip Steak with Summer Panzanella

It’s that time of year. The time of year when fall starts to get pushed down our throats, regardless of how much we try to shield our eyes from it. I, for one, will have no part in this nonsense. After all, I feel like it’s only been a few weeks since the corn has become so sweet and luscious, I crave it as much as dessert, and the tomatoes so ripe and juicy, I can eat them whole like an apple.

Regardless of what the produce tastes like, the cold, hard truth is that summer is in fact, quickly fleeting, much to my dismay. This unfortunate reality has left me hoarding zucchini, corn and tomatoes like a winter storm might coming roaring in tomorrow, destroying what’s left of my precious summer produce. The upside to this is my refrigerator is overflowing with copious amounts of the little gems, and the downside to this is my refrigerator is overflowing with copious amounts of the little gems – I’m ecstatic to have such a bounty of it all, but sometimes at a loss as to what to do with it.

I’ve thrown them into frittatas and pastas, but I think one of my favorite, no-fuss ways to dress them up is in a classic panzanella salad – perfect on its own, or as it is here, piled high on a perfectly grilled steak.

Day-old rosemary ciabatta (you can use whatever bread you like) is drizzled with a little bit of olive oil and then thrown onto a screaming hot grill alongside the steak and an ear of corn. Once the bead starts to char it’s cut into bite-sized pieces and tossed with a variety of heirloom cherry tomatoes, the grilled corn, plenty of freshly torn basil and a super quick balsamic vinaigrette.

Head on over to Laura’s Lean Beef to get the full post and recipe!