Call me crazy- but to me, good food is all about texture. Think about the best thing you’ve ever eaten in your life. Seriously. Now, imagine that thing was actually soup- like, it tasted the same, but it had the consistency of soup. If you said some sort of soup was the best thing you’ve ever eaten in your life, pick a different thing, because my point will be irrelevant. So now that you’re thinking about the best thing you’ve ever eaten (not soup), and imagining it as soup instead of whatever it was originally, what do you think? Not as good, right? Texture is key. Growing up, I was very texturally averse. I had a hard time eating a lot of foods, especially ones without good structure (in flavor and actual texture). I think I was scarred by those experiences sitting at the dinner table for hours and hours until I ate my serving of mushy steamed brussels sprouts or whatever it was. Because of this, I understand the importance of texture, and how it plays directly into flavor. Tonight’s salad is all about those kickass textures, coming not only in the form of crunch, but also tender and flavorful roasted peppers and corn. Balance is key. We’ve wrapped it all up in a parcel of crunchy roasty goodness, and given you some crispy bits and mojo vinaigrette to tie it all together. To prepare the salad, simply toss everything in a bowl, dress with salt, pepper, and the mojo vinaigrette, and plate it up. Lastly, sprinkle the fried garlic, fried shallots, and sunflower seeds all over the top, and dig right in. Texture! Flavor! It’s all there, in the best way possible. Enjoy!

If you got harissa garlic flank steak:

Great idea! Nothing beefs up a salad like… some beef. This fine flank has been rubbed with a savory mix of spices, salts, and harissa-garlic paste, which we made by combining some harissa, and some garlic, and blending it into a paste. Rocket science. After a nice rub, we’ve roasted these steaks for you- and they’re ready to be reheated (or not) and sliced up for topping off your salad. To reheat, you can either broil them quickly, or just pop them in the microwave. Or grill. Or cook in a pan. Or heat with a hairdryer. Or on a wafflemaker. Whatever. Hot or not, slice the steaks against the grain, and layer the slices right on top of your salad. Enjoy!