We made a new discovery this week.  We tried it one weekend, and then decided we liked it so much that we made it again the second weekend.  So, if you noticed tri-tip in my grocery purchases twice in the same week, that’s why.

I didn’t invent, or even much alter, these recipes.  I just put them all together.  The first time through we tried sugar snap peas as the side.  We all agreed that while we liked sugar snap peas (and I had them already needing to be eaten with something), they weren’t right for this dish.  The cauliflower was a much better option, but we may continue trying other sides.

First the tri-tip with chimichurri.  This was a nice, simple recipe from Bon Appetit.  There were a few modifications:

• We omitted the sesame seeds.
• I substituted 1 Tbsp sugar for the agave nectar.
• Next time I’m going to try making the chimichurri in a food processor or blender because we’d prefer the greens a bit more broken down.

Next, the bread.  This is King Arthur Flour’s French-Style Country Bread.  I’d never made it before pairing it here, but it is very good and will definitely enter the rotation with other meals also.  Note, the first time I made this I used 2 hours for the starter and the full times for the rises.  This produced a very soft bread with larger holes.  The second time I was in a bit of a hurry so I shortened all the times a bit.  Both were tasty, but I’d recommend going for the longer times for truly light, airy bread.

Not pictured, but with the bread, we had guacamole.  Definitely recommend putting this on the bread.

The cauliflower held its own much better than the peas.  It’s a recipe we make a few times a year.  The kids prefer it without the cheese sauce which is easy enough to accommodate.