List fail

Have we talked about lists? I feel like there are some aspects of lockdown we've come to take for granted and perhaps not articulated all that much. But lists have been a *massive* part of my life since March. Lists of shopping, lists of meals to cater, lists of recipe ideas for my different themed weeks, lists of stockpiled goods to use/replenish/keep and eye on. Shopping lists for my parents as well (Dad has an interesting system of Needed and At Some Point, the latter being mainly slightly harder to source, so I have that list in my head when I'm doing my own shopping, or looking for something to movitate me to get out of the house, especially on Tuesday, which is my no yoga, no shopping day). Lists of new stuff I need (masks, sanitiser, bleach, medications, somewhere with a public set of scales cos I *still* owe my GP a current weight, ugh; but also a vase! Because so many flowers now!).

And lists of online shows that I might want to watch. Lists of donations to theatres and payments to yoga teachers (boy, is Paypal getting a workout). Lists of cancellations and refunds (woe). Lists of new bookings (mostly online, but a gallery too). Lists of current work to do (those pre-date lockdown, I've always been a crosser-off). Lists of aspirational work, the ones I took home in March. 90% of that's resolutely undone, because it turns out (who knew) that a massive international ongoing crisis is a bad time to get around to stuff. I've just delivered something I had seven months to write, and it's in late. That is not like me.

But aspirational bonkersness aside, lists are my friend. UNTIL TODAY. How do I not have any dill in? Or tarragon? Is it because I definitely bought some for parents last Thursday; is it because I thought I'd got them at the supermarket but in the supermarket I thought they'd be nicer from the farmers' market? I don't know, but the fact remains, when I got to the dressing for this recipe and its demand for "soft herbs, eg dill, parsley, tarragon, chives", what I got was "parsley, sorrel and land cress", which just goes to show that farmers' markets will entice you into all manner of unwise greenery, if not the stuff you needed. (You should see the fruit heap I bought, except you can't, because I have mostly aten it already).

Anyway, this is a delicious, pretty wicked salad, unless you're Atkinsing in which case it's ideal for you. Great summer eating, though, and helps to use up the national steak oversupply.

Dressing is the key: buttermilk (mixed 2:1 with mayo, allegedly, but in fact not so much here), plus Dijon mustard, seasoning, a garlic clove, and the aforementioned soft herb mix.

Then it's just a steak cooked medium rare and rested for ages, then thinly sliced.

On a salad of lettuce and spring onion (and spare land cress and sorrel, eh), lavishly dressed, and scattered with pine nuts. Very, very nice. Very messy (mix with caution), and would be more fun with a bit of anise-y herb, but...

It's mince for the rest of the week, never fear.