This entrée is looking very wintry; fortunately today’s weather pretty much went along with the fiction.  By further explanation, I’m trying to wind down the larder before we ship off to Washington this week for five days, so I’m assembling some atypical combinations for dinner.

• Tri-tip steak from Dickson Farmstand Meats, seared, roasted in a hot oven for about seven minutes, then removed, allowed to rest in the pan for a few minutes before being topped with sliced shallots from John D. Madura Farm, then sprinkled with a bit of lemon juice and olive oil, and dusted with chopped lovage from Two Guys from Woodbridge
• fennel from Norwich Meadows Farm, and radicchio from Campo Rosso Farm, both halved and then quartered, braised with oil, garlic, chiles, ground fennel seeds, finished with chopped fennel tops, torn basil from Norwich Meadows Farm, a drizzle of olive oil, and some lemon juice
• the wine was an Argentinian red,  Ernesto Catena, Padrillos Malbec, 2013