If the day look grey, serve the steak hot, with steaming baked baby potatoes and tzatziki on the side.
If things are looking summery by an hour before the meal, let the potatoes cool and then mash them coarsely, skins and all, with some olive oil and vinegar; then slice the cooled steak into thick tranches and serve scattered with fresh herbs, lemon and chilli.
The tzatziki will happily swing both ways.
HOW TO MAKE BEETROOT & ORANGE SOUP
This soup is delicious served hot or cold; it's a recipe liked even by beetroot despisers.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
500g freshest beetroot, coarsely chopped
200g onion, coarsely chopped
1 litre water
Rind and juice of two oranges
Sugar and salt, to taste
Toppings:
Sour cream (if you'll be serving the soup hot) or yoghurt (if you'll be serving it cold)
Chives, chopped
Black pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pot, and sauté onion and beetroot very slowly until onion is softening but not browning.
2. Add the water and simmer, half-covered, on the lowest heat for 30 minutes or until beetroot is soft.
3. Cool slightly and put everything through blender until smooth.
4. Pour back into the pot, and reheat, while adding most of the orange juice and rind, plus salt and sugar to taste.
5. Add remaining orange if you think it needs it, and balance sweet and salt again (hot usually needs less sweet, more salt; vice versa for cold).
6. Serve with the toppings and, if it's the hot version, some good bread on the side.
• This article was originally published in The Times.