Grilled Corn and Steak Fattoush

This grilled corn and steak fattoush fits the vacation-friendly bill perfectly, demanding nothing more of you than a few bowls and a hot grill by the pool, grass in your toes. Store-bought pita chips, doctored up with a little spice and sugar, fulfill the bread component of a good fattoush with a resounding crunch—no oven needed—and the addition of a little protein takes this salad from side to you-don’t-need-anything else. Don’t skip the sumac—with its brightness and sour cherry-like notes, it’s the ingredient doing the most, bringing tart, vivacious personality and acidic relief to the whole dish.

Have access to some hefty heirloom tomatoes, dripping juice when you slice into them? Use those, coarsely chopped, instead of the cherry tomatoes. Salting the tomatoes and letting them sit while the rest of the salad comes together draws out some of the flavorful liquid, effectively becoming part of the dressing, and ensuring the salad’s never dry. New York strip steak is my preferred choice for the right balance of tender meat, rich fat, and fairly quick cook time, but hanger or skirt steak will do rather nicely as well.