It is the second Saturday of the month which means that Wirral Farmer’s Market has been on in New Ferry. I went down and used it as an opportunity to construct a very good steak sandwich for my lunch

The steak came from the Dolwen Farm Shop. I had asked for a couple of rump steaks but they were out of those so I had to make do with sirloin cut straight from a great slab of deep red meat. There was a pleasing heft to it in my bag.

Along with the steak I bought some smoked streaky bacon, a fat free range chicken, dirty potatoes and carrots, two partridges and three long French style baguettes.

Back home the partridges went into the freezer. They will no doubt make an appearance next weekend. I then set about constructing the steak sandwich.

I started by going out into the garden and picking a good handful of the rocket that is still growing like a weed around the veg plot. The fact that I have let some of it go to seed means there will be plenty next year. Now in the early autumn the green serrated leaves are peppery enough to bring a tear to the eye.

Back inside I put an heavy iron ribbed pan over a high heat to get smoking hot. The steak was cut into three thick strips and salted and peppered. One of the baguettes was cut in half and stuffed with rocket. A drop of oil was swirled round the bottom of the hot pan. Smoke billowed and the strips of steak were laid to spit and sizzle in the pan with the hot oil. I turned them over after a couple of minutes and they were done in five.

I took the pan off the heat to let them rest for a few minutes more and they were then stuffed into the baguette along with some sliced onions and tomatoes.

It was very good and didn’t need anything else apart from the electronic wash of John Grant’s new album in the background.