Two very similar local meals this week, both so good I couldn't choose between them: t-bone steak with summer tomato salad and spicy broiled veal heart with a purple-tinged salad.

A while ago I tried making beef heart with mixed success, and I am happy to report that this veal heart was a different experience entirely. Not only is the veal heart smaller and easier to handle to begin with, I followed the internet's advice and broiled the meat with a spice rub. (I was going to grill, but wouldn't you know? The middle of August and it's 55 and raining!) For the spice rub, I combined achiote paste, cumin, turmeric, garlic, chili and cayenne powders, and a splash of vinegar. The resulting flavor was milder than I expected, supplying just a little kick to the otherwise mellow heart. Broiling left the meat perfectly tender and smooth. I suspect that beef heart would be delicious and easy with this method as well. I also broiled some purple peppers and Greg made us a salad of red lettuce, white and purple carrots and peppers.

Steak and tomato salad isn't the most exciting meal, but it's one of my absolute favorites. There is nothing like a nice, juicy, perfectly browned steak with a side of tomatoes, still warm from the vine, tossed with cucumbers, basil and balsamic vinegar.

And no, I am not on a low-carb diet! We ate both of these with a side of Iggy's bread, which is locally made, if not locally grown, and delicious.

Ingredients:
Ciabatta from Iggy's Bread in Cambridge, MA
Tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, lettuce, peppers and carrots from Red Fire Farms, Granby, MA
Steak and veal heart from Houde Family Farm, St. Johnsbury, VT