Pork Chops with Salted Plums

One of the best things about summer is having fruits with meat. This summer has been more challenging for getting fruits and sometimes what I get is less that the best. This recipe is a good one for plums that come from a grocery store instead of a market or a backyard.

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Pork Chops with Salted Plums

Source:  Alison Roman in New York Times Cooking

Serves 4

Since I'm currently not going to my regular butcher and instead take what I get in a curbside pickup, I learned this recipe works with a thinner pork chop, too. I didn't brine the thinner chops but I was careful not to overcook them--I had to ignore timing recommendations. Thin chops might benefit from a brine, especially if you keep the salt and fish sauce lower in the plums. I did not slice these chops but served them whole.

2 bone-in thick pork chops (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick, about 1 1/2 pounds in weight)

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pd medium  slightly under-ripe plums, pitted and sliced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 c unseasoned rice wine vinegar or fresh lime juice, plus more, if needed

1/2 teas fish sauce (optional, but tasty)

1 T vegetable oil

1 c fresh mint leaves

olive oil, for drizzling

Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper and set aside.

Place the plums and onion slices in a bowl and toss with the vinegar and fish sauce. Add a bit of salt and pepper and taste a plum. It should taste tangy and salty. If it doesn't, add more vinegar and salt. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the pork chops when hot and cook. Keep the chops in place for 4-6 minutes and don't move until well browned. Flip the chops and continue to cook until this side is browned about 3-5 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer you may want to use it here. I found that these recommended times resulted in quite pink meat. USDA and the National Pork Board recommend cooking to 145F in addition to a 3-minute rest. 

Remove from heat and place the chops on a cutting board. Allow them to rest while you briefly cook the plum and onions in the same skillet. Toss the mix and try to scrape up the fond and cook only long enough to wilt the onion. 

The author of this recipe instructs cooks to slice thick pork chops and serve with the plum mixture, topping the pork slices with the mint and drizzling with olive oil just before serving. This works tolerably well with very thick pork chop but it leaves the bone and bits of the chop languishing on the cutting board. But, as I mentioned above, thinner chops can be substituted. 

Peach Cobbler with Hot Sugar Crust

This recipe uses a technique which was new to me, except in hot pudding cakes. On first glance it appears it won't work. But this cobbler sports a lovely, crisp topping.

Unless you are serving a large group, I recommend you half this recipe and bake in an 8X8 pan. The cobbler is best right after baking and for a day or two afterwards; any longer and the topping will lose its crunch.

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Peach Cobbler with Hot Sugar Crust

No modifications were made for altitude and it turned out great.

Adapted from Food52.com
Serves 10 or more

10 large ripe peaches (about 4 1/2 pds), pitted but not peeled and cut into chunks about an inch in size
1 large lemon
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
2 c sugar, divided
1 1/2 c AP flour
2 teas baking powder
1 teas kosher salt (or 1/2 teas table salt)
3/4 c whole milk
1/2 c hot water
Heavy cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350F with a rack in the middle

Place the peaches in a buttered 9X13 baking dish. Using a microplane, zest the lemon evenly over the fruit. Squeeze the lemon and drizzle 1/4 cup of the juice over the fruit as well.

Cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar on medium for a minute or so, until it is creamy but sandy. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt, and on medium speed, beat until incorporated and all is crumbly (30 seconds or more). Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Slowly pour in the milk while the mixer is on low speed. Beat a couple of minutes until the batter is light and fluffy.

Use a large spoon or the rubber spatula to drop 6 large portions of the mix over the peaches. (Make sure you get all the batter.) Carefully spread the batter with an offset spatula so that all the fruit is covered. Try to spread it evenly so that it is all about 1/2 inch thick overall.

Take the remaining half cup of sugar and sprinkle it evenly over the batter. In a small stream, drizzle the sugar topped batter with the hot water which will melt the sugar.

Place the pan on top of a large baking sheet and place both in the oven. Bake the cobbler until the top is crackly and golden brown, about 70-80 minutes. Use a toothpick to test; it will come out clean or with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Check in several spots.

Allow the cobbler to cool for about 30 minutes. Serve it warm with the cream poured over the top. If you have leftovers, cover and refrigerate.

Ratatouille

This vegetable stew is one of my favorite things to eat in late summer when I have an abundance of vegetables in my garden. But it can be cooked any time if you choose to use canned tomatoes.

The author of this recipe utilizes a method that keeps all the flavors fresh tasting by keeping the parts separated a bit while cooking so it doesn't turn into a mushy mess.

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Ratatouille

Source:  The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook by Kim O'Donnel
Serves: 6

1 large globe eggplant (about a pound) or 3 thinner Asian eggplants
salt for leaching eggplant
5 T olive oil, divided
2 medium onions sliced thinly (about 2 cups)
3 red or yellow bell peppers, seeded and julienned (about 2 1/2 c)
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 large yellow or green zucchini, cut into half moons (about 2 1/2 c)
ground black pepper
6 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 3 c) or 1 (28-oz) can plum tomatoes
1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teas dried
1 teas dried oregano
chopped fresh basil and/or parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Dice the eggplant into half-inch cubes (about 5-6 c). Sprinkle with salt and place on a rack or in a colander to drain for about 30 minutes. (This leaching step is not required but it will reduce liquid.)

With a towel pat the eggplant dry. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 T of the olive oil. Toss and spread into a single layer. Put the eggplant in the hot oven and roast for 15 minutes until the eggplant browns and shrinks substantially. Take it out of the oven and set aside.

You'll need a large skillet as well as a large lidded saucepan or Dutch oven which you can keep on a burner on the lowest warm setting.

Heat another 2 T oil in the skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions until tender and stir in the peppers with a generous pinch of salt. Cook until the peppers are soft.

Add half the garlic and stir for a minute and transfer all from the skillet to the Dutch oven (or saucepan).

In the skillet heat 1 T olive oil over medium-high heat and add the zucchini and some salt and pepper. Cook until the zucchini is tender but still retains its color. Add the remaining garlic; cook for a minute and then add the mixture to the Dutch oven. Stir the vegetables together.

Chop or mash the tomatoes with a potato masher so they are broken up. Add them to the vegetables along with the thyme and oregano. Stir in the eggplant. This mixture will be thick but as the tomatoes release liquid it will loosen up. If it remains thicker than you like add a few tablespoons of water. Raise the temperature to medium-low and mix the ingredients well. Cover and allow to cook for 12-15 minutes until heated through. Taste for seasonings and remove herb sprigs. Serve.

This can be served with couscous, quinoa, or orzo. Crusty bread would be great, too.

Note:

If you can't entertain the idea of heating your late summer kitchen with a 450F oven, you can pan-roast the eggplant before you start cooking everything else. Heat the olive oil in your large skillet (can be nonstick if you prefer) over medium high heat and cook the eggplant after leaching and patting dry. Stir from time to time so it doesn't scorch and cook until browned and tender. Set aside in a bowl. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and begin cooking the onions as instructed above.

If I'm in a rush, I'll employ more than one skillet and cook onions and zucchini at the same time but in separate pans and you'll be able to control how "done" each vegetable becomes. This will speed preparation somewhat but will make for more pans to wash, of course.

Second Best Pesto Method

Most of the experts I read indicate they think the best way to make pesto is in a mortar and pestle. 

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Second Best Pesto Method 

The source is an article written by Ella Quittner in Food52.com in which she reports on testing she undertook to find the best method to make pesto. She based her recipe on one found in a book published last fall Pasta Grannies by Vicky Bennison. (I just love the title of that book!)

Yields about 1/3 c or enough for 3/4 pound of pasta depending on your preference.


1 clove garlic
1/2 teas salt (rock salt can provide grinding traction, but coarse kosher is fine, as is table salt but use less table salt)
3-ish cups basil leaves (tender, young leaves if possible unless you grow your own)
3-ish T Italian pine nuts, untoasted, or chopped walnuts since true Italian pine nuts are expensive and you may not have them in your pantry
1/3 c mildly flavored extra-virgin olive oil

a heaping 1/3 c grated cheese (can be a mix of parmigiano reggiano and pecorino romano)

Put all ingredients minus the cheese and olive oil, into a wide jar (a quart-size container or quart mason jar or a pickle jar; anything slightly wider than the immersion blender). With the immersion blender, blend as finely as possible. Stop and scrape the sides and the inside of the blender occasionally. You'll end up with a paste (I guess that's where it gets its name). 

Drizzle the olive oil in as best you can while still running the blender (or simply pour it in and then run the blender). Add the cheese and continue blending. I ended up with a nearly smooth product. 

Notes:

I found it simpler to blend when I coarsely chopped the basil leaves and used something wider than a quart mason jar. Even a saved quart yogurt container works here and it's much easier to scrape out the finished pesto. When I tripled the recipe, I did it in a medium sized bowl.

I once saw a suggestion for using pecans. I haven't tried that yet but I liked walnuts more than I thought I would. 

I wanted the pesto to stay a bit greener so I added a half cup of parsley to the basil. I didn't notice much change in flavor.

I have enough basil I will need to freeze some of this for the winter. When researching, I found both pros and cons for freezing it with the cheese already mixed in. I ended up freezing mine without cheese and will just stir it into the pasta when I mix in the pesto. I find it easy to freeze in a quart-size freezer bag and then I can break off what I need.

White Grape Jelly

In the Ball canning book this recipe calls for scuppernong grapes. I don't grow those, nor do I know where to get them. I use a variety of white seeded grapes that was planted by a previous owner of my home. 

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White Grape Jelly

Source: The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving
Yields about 6 half pint jars (I get 7 consistently)

3 2/3 c white grape juice obtained by your favorite method, see below
5 1/2 c sugar
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 (3-oz) pouch liquid pectin

Prepare jars for canning by washing and heating in very boiling water in your canner. Also wash and prepare lids and bands. Place the lids in a bowl of boiling hot water and let sit until you top the jars.

Combine grape juice, sugar, and lemon juice in a Dutch oven or very large saucepan or pasta pot. The jelly will boil up and a large pot will help contain it. Over high heat, bring the ingredients to a full rolling boil that can't be stirred down. Stir frequently, especially as the bubbles rise.

Stir in the pectin, all at once, squeezing the packet to get all of it out of the pouch. Keep the jelly boiling hard while stirring constantly for one minute. Turn off the heat. Skim foam, if necessary.

Remove hot jars from canner and ladle the hot jelly into the jars leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Clean the  jar rims with a clean wet paper towel and set lids on top of each jar. Put the bands on and tighten with your fingertips. Place jars in the canner and ensure they are covered with water to an inch above the tops of the jars.

Process 10 minutes (sea level) and adjust for altitude:

1,001-3,000 ft--5 additional minutes

3,001-6,000 ft--10 additional minutes

6,001-8,000 ft--15 additional minutes

8,001-10,000 ft--20 additional minutes

When finished, turn off heat and allow jars to sit in the hot water for 5 minutes. Remove the jars and set where they won't be disturbed for 24 hours.

Check seals; lids should be indented and you shouldn't be able to move them.

Wash jars, label, and store in a cool dry place for up to a year,



Notes:

I use a steam juicer. If you don't have one use this method for removing juice from grapes:

Wash 5 1/4 pounds grapes, remove and discard stems. Bring grapes and 1 c water to a boil in a pasta pot or Dutch oven, stirring often. Boil for 20 minutes, stirring frequently or until most of the seeds have been released from the pulp. Mash the grapes with a potato masher to slip seeds from pulp

Line a large wire-mesh strainer with 3 layers of damp cheesecloth. Place over a large bowl and pour grapes into the strainer. Let drain at least an hour to get required 3 2/3 c juice. Discard solids.

Sheet Pan Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs with Red Cabbage

Early in the stay at home orders caused by the pandemic of 2020, Betsy and I chatted and learned that we had both made this recipe within the same week without having told one another of our interest in it. It's a very yummy dish.

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Sheet Pan Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs with Red Cabbage

Source:  Washington Post, January 16, 2020
Serves:  4-6

I haven't done it, but I believe green cabbage may be substituted for the red if that is what you have. If you do use green I suggest you substitute a yellow onion for the red. However, a red cabbage results in an extraordinarily attractive dish.

2 1/2 T grainy mustard
3 T maple syrup, divided
1/2 teas freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 pds skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
8 c thinly sliced red cabbage, about 1/2 a medium head
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly into half moons
5 T apple cider vinegar, divided
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 teas caraway seeds
1/2 teas kosher salt; add more to taste

Note: the more thinly the cabbage is sliced, the more quickly it will cook.

Place the oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 450F.

Mix the mustard, 1 T of the maple syrup, and 1/4 teas of the pepper into a small bowl.

Put the chicken thighs on a lightly oiled large rimmed baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels. Pour the mustard mixture over the thighs and rub it all over the skin. Arrange the thighs skin side up and place in the oven; roast for 20 minutes or so, until the skin has started to crisp up.

Remove the baking sheet and reduce the heat to 375F.  Remove the chicken from the sheet to a plate and discard accumulated fat.

Toss the cabbage, onion, 4 T of the vinegar, onion, oil, and remaining 2 T of the maple syrup as well as caraway seeds and salt plus the remaining 1/4 teas of black pepper. Dump the cabbage mix onto the baking sheet, spreading it evenly. Nestle the chicken with the skin side up into the cabbage and return the baking sheet to the oven.

Roast for 20-25 minutes until the cabbage has softened somewhat and the thighs are measuring 170F on a meat thermometer. If the chicken is done before the cabbage, pull the thighs off the pan and keep warm on a platter, covering with foil. Return the cabbage to the oven covered with foil until it has reached the tenderness you desire. Remove from the oven.

Use the remaining tablespoons of vinegar to drizzle over chicken and serve with cabbage.

Buttercup Cookies

A year ago this month, we joined family members in Iceland for the burial of our little grand daughter Sóley. Recently I've comforted myself when marking anniversaries of the loss of loved ones by cooking something they enjoyed eating. I'm unable to do that so I found a recipe that represents a buttercup bloom to me, for that is what her name means in Icelandic.  

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Buttercup Cookies

Cook's Country (Hazelnut-Lemon Curd Kisses)
20-24 cookies

altitude changes for around 5000 feet:

add 1 T flour
decrease the sugar by 1 teaspoon

(Once I baked these and forgot to make altitude changes. They were still good, although slightly more fragile.)


1 c AP flour
3/4 c hazelnuts or pecans, toasted
pinch salt
8 T unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teas vanilla extract
approximately 1/2 c lemon curd (purchased or homemade)
1/4 c confectioner's sugar, optional

Make the dough:

Set oven racks to upper- and low-middle. Preheat oven to 350F. Place parchment paper on 2 baking sheets. Place flour, nuts, salt in a food processor and grind until finely ground.

Place butter and granulated sugar in a bowl (either stand mixer or otherwise) and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating until completely mixed in. On a lower speed, mix in the flour mixture just until incorporated.

Roll  dough into a 1-inch balls and setting each on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Grease a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon and use it to make an indentation in the center of each ball. You'll probably have to grease the spoon repeatedly. Bake about 10 minutes until just set.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and gently press the measuring spoon into the existing holes to reinforce the existing indentations. Return to oven and continue baking, rotating and switching, until the cookies begin to brown around the edges (around 10 minutes, depending on altitude). On cooling racks, cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then move each cookie the the rack until they have cooled completely. The cookies can be stored for 2 days at room temperature; they can be frozen, too, if you keep them in a single layer.

Once you have determined how many cookies you are serving, fill the imprint in each cookie with a teaspoon of lemon curd. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar, if desired, and serve immediately.
Remaining cookies can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days until you are ready to fill and eat them. If you prefer, you may store them in the freezer but they tend to survive better if frozen in a single layer.

Place the lemon curd in the fridge until you serve the remaining cookies.

Cook's Country's instructions vary considerably from my own. The curd is baked in their version. Here are instructions for the process:

When the cookies have been baked the first 10 minutes. remove from the oven and deepen the imprints. While the cookie is still hot, fill each dimple with half a teaspoon of lemon curd. Return the sheets to the oven and bake for around 10 minutes until they have browned at the edges. Follow the advise above for rotating, removing, and cooling. Allow to cool before serving and sprinkle with  confectioner's sugar, if you like. This version can be kept at room temperature for a couple of days. I've cooked this version so rarely that I cannot advise about freezing.