I now know that I can whip up a great tri-tip steak without turning the oven on.  I had chosen these beautiful cuts at Dickson Farm Stand Meats before remembering, once I was home, that I had always used a very hot oven to finish their cooking. This was an important issue on a warm muggy evening, even if we did have the air conditioner cranked up in the room where wee would be eating.

I tried just pan-grilling them, and they were wonderful. Tri-tips are now not just a winter thing.

• two 5 or 6-ounce Tri-tip steaks from Dickson Farmstand Meats, dried, seasoned with freshly-ground black pepper, pan-grilled for a few minutes, turning twice, sprinkling them with sea salt the first and second times, removed to the plates, a little organic lemon squeezed on top, sprinkled with chopped lovage from Keith’s Farm, and drizzled with olive oil

• rainbow chard from Alewife Farm, sautéed in olive oil in which some halved garlic cloves from Whole Foods had been heated, finished with a squeeze of juice from an organic lemon, some crushed dried Itria-Sirissi chili, and a drizzle of olive oil

• a low bowl, on the side of the plates, with pieces of one large chopped Striped German heirloom tomato from Toigo Orchards which had been allowed to sit for 20 minutes or so with a mix of scissored garlic chives from Lani’s Farm, salt, pepper, chopped stemmed flowering chervil from Willow Wisp Farm, chopped thyme from Stokes Farm, Thai basil from Norwich Meadows Farm, and a bit of balsamic vinegar

• the wine was a wonderful California (Calaveras) red, F. Stephen Millier Black Label Red Angel Red Blend Calaveras County 2014, from Naked Wines
• the music was Lully’s ‘Bellerophon’, Christophe Rousset directing the ensemble, Les Talens Lyriques