A Late Autumn Meal

A few years ago I bought a cookbook, The Cook and the Gardener.  The recipes are arranged seasonally and were originally done in a chateau in Burgundy where the author, Amanda Hesser, was cooking for Anne Willan, a cookbook author and owner of Ecole de Cusine La Varenne.  So many recipes mix ingredients from different seasons.  These recipes are of the season.

One late fall recipe (although this week’s temperatures seem more like winter) called for mustard greens and I have lots of them in our fall garden.  Amanda suggested paring it with pork with red wine, orange peel and apple-thyme chutney.  It is ‘hog killing time’ as well although I am not personally killing any.  Neighbors are shooting wild boar, however.  We have oranges in the garden as well; apples as you know do not do well here in the deep South but they are in the stores as they are now seasonal in slightly cooler climes.

Wilted Mustard Greens with Shallots and Sherry Vinegar

Serves 4

¼ cup olive oil

2 pounds mustard greens, stems removed and washed

Coarse or kosher salt

3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

3 shallot lobes, chopped fine

1/3 cup sherry vinegar

Cook the greens in three batches. Heat the wok over medium-high heat. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil around the sides of the wok so it spreads to the base of the wok. Add a third of the greens in handfuls, tossing with a large fork or tongs so they wilt. They will darken to a glossy, forest-green color. Season with salt and pepper and add a third of the garlic and shallot, tossing to mix evenly, 1 to 2 minutes. (This prevents the greens from clumping while the garlic and shallot soften.) Add 1 tablespoon of the vinegar and cook off all the liquid, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving dish.

Repeat for the next two batches. Season to taste, adding more salt and the remaining vinegar to taste. Using a large fork, fluff up the greens before serving.  Leftovers, rare as they are, make for a good addition to a quiche or omelet. Squeeze the greens in your fists before using to remove any excess liquid.

Pork with Red Wine, Orange Peel, and Apple-Thyme Chutney

Serves 4-6

2 ½ pounds pork loin

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

Marinade

1 strip orange peel

8 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

1 carrot, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch dice

2 onions, roughly chopped

1 bottle full-bodied red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

Apple-Thyme Chutney

3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes

3 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons Calvados or apple brandy

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Coarse or kosher salt

Marinate the pork: Tie up the pork with kitchen twine. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a shallow dish large enough to fit the pork, spread the orange peel, thyme, bay leaves, carrot, and onion over the base. Lay the pork on top and pour over the wine. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours, turning the pork from time to time.

Sometime while the pork marinates, make the chutney: In a small, heavy-based saucepan, combine the apple, thyme, bay leaf, sugar, Calvados, and apple cider vinegar. Simmer over low heat with the lid set slightly askew, stirring occasionally, for 1-1 ½ hours. Toward the end, the chutney will begin sticking easily to the pan. Stir often, so it doesn’t burn. The apples should have collapsed, and the chutney should become thick as the liquids evaporate. It should be delicately sweet, with a sharp edge provided by the vinegar. Season to taste, adding a pinch of salt if desired. Discard the thyme stems, and leave the chutney in the pan until needed. The chutney can be made up to 3 days ahead, stored in the refrigerator, and rewarmed before serving.

Heat the oven to 450⁰F.

Remove the pork from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Season the pork with salt and again with pepper. Spread the oil in the base of a heavy roasting pan large enough to fit the pork without too much spare room. Lay the pork on top and roast it for 15 minutes, turning the pork often to color it well on all sides. Pour in 1 cup of the marinade, reduce the oven temperature to 350⁰F, and continue roasting for another 35 to 45 minutes. Baste the roast often, adding more marinade if necessary. When a skewer inserted in the center of the roast 30 seconds is hot to the touch, or an instant-read thermometer registers 150⁰F, the pork is almost done. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, lift the pork to a cutting board (where it will continue cooking to its done temperature of 160⁰F), and let it rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, reheat the apple chutney and make a jus: Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the chutney and warm over medium heat, stirring often to disperse the heat, for 5 to 7 minutes. The chutney should be warm to the touch but not piping hot; apples hold heat well. Pile into a small bowl. You can leave the bay leaf in for color, but warn people not to eat it. For the jus, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the roasting pan. Then pour the remaining marinade into the roasting pan and place over high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any pan drippings. Reduce to a condensed jus, about ½ cup. Taste and adjust seasoning. Strain into a small bowl.

Carve the pork into ¼ -inch slices and arrange them on a shallow serving platter. Pour over any juices that have accumulated on the cutting board. Serve, passing the jus and warm chutney separately. This dish is also great served cold, without the jus, for lunch.

Food Gifts for Christmas

It is that time of year when I begin to think of what to give friends and neighbors for Christmas. I usually send fruit from Pittman & Davis to friends out of state. Their fruit is really good and shipping is included. Their e-mail address is fruit@pittmandavis.com. Locally one can give gifts of pecans and peanuts. I received a bag of peanuts from Sumblin Farms in Kinston, Alabama, and thought that was such a great gift that can be used in the weeks to come.  Thank you Anne for sending me those peanuts! (She included the recipe for roasting: preheat oven to 500 degrees, place full baking sheet of peanuts in oven, turn off after 4 minutes.  Do not open oven until cooled.) Priester’s Pecans in Fort Deposit, Alabama, have a great selection of pecan gifts. I love going into their store and it is only an hours drive from Andalusia. Their e-mail is priesters.com if you cannot get to their store. Or pick pecans locally.  Shelling the pecans gives added value to the gift. For gifts of honey try the Savannah Bee Co. Tupelo Honey, Georgia, for simple fresh honey. Their e-mail is savannahbee.com. The list can go on and on as I am sure you are aware, but perhaps the best gifts would be from your own kitchen.

Recently as I showed some official guests around town and we had a tour of a local entrepreneur’s gourmet products kitchen.  They make their products using local honey and have an array of jellies, jams, sauces and even just honey. www.magnoliahoney.com I particularly liked their Jezebel Sauce.  This is a southern sauce (maybe having its origin on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.)  Recipes vary but a jar of pineapple or apricot preserves, a jar of apple jelly, ½ cup horseradish, 3 Tbs dry mustard, 2 tsp course ground black pepper is typical.  Serve over pork or chicken, as a dip for eggrolls or over cream cheese.  Horseradish is the key.  Mix the ingredients to your taste.  Or buy some from Magnolia Honey which of course adds honey to the mix.

All the December magazines have edible gifts to give. Probably you have your own edible gifts that you do every Christmas. Perhaps you have that perfect fruitcake recipe or cookie recipe. I read that fruit cakes were coming back into favor since William and Katherine had one inside their wedding cake! The New Orleans paper is giving out praline recipes (which are fun to make and give). They use your local pecans which makes them somewhat cheaper to make.  Food Network Magazine for December had 50 edible gifts to give. I liked them because they were simple and not time consuming. Just put these gifts in a jar or tin and put a ribbon on the container and you have a great gift for friends or as a hostess gift.

White Chocolate-Peppermint Bark (I love this stuff.)

Melt 12 ounces finely chopped white chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Sir in 1 tablespoon melted shortening and 4 ounces chopped white chocolate until smooth. Spread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 cup chopped peppermint candies. Let harden; break into pieces.

Holiday Party Mix

Melt 1 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread with ½ stick butter in a large bowl in the microwave at 50 percent power. Stir in 8 cups Chex cereal. Transfer to a large re-sealable plastic bag; add a 1-pound box confectioners’ sugar and shake to coat. Add ¼ cup colored sprinkles and ½ cup each yogurt-covered raisins and red and green M&M’s; toss to combine.

Turtles

Arrange small clusters of pecans on a baking sheet. Melt unwrapped soft caramels in the microwave and drizzle over each cluster. Top with melted chocolate. Let harden.

Spiced Rum Balls

Mix 3 ½ cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies, 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, ¾ teaspoon each nutmeg and cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon ground ginger. Stir in 3 tablespoons light corn syrup and 1/3 cup each brandy and rum. Roll into balls and chill until firm. Roll in confectioners’ sugar.

Sugar Plums

Finely chop 1 ¼ cups toasted almonds in a food processor with 1 ½ cups each prune and dried apricots, 3 tablespoons honey,  1 teaspoon orange zest, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Roll into balls, then roll in coarse sugar.

Chocolate Haystacks

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in the microwave. Stir in 2 ½ cups chow mein noodles until coated. Drop spoonfulls on an oiled parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Let harden.

Chocolate Orange Peels

Peel 3 oranges. Cut the rind into strips and boil in water 15 minutes; then drain and rinse. Simmer 3 sups each sugar and water. Add the peel and cook until soft, 45 minutes. Drain and toss in sugar. Transfer to a rack to dry, 8 hours. Dip in bittersweet chocolate; let harden.

Chocolate Fudge

Melt ½ stick butter, 4 cups marshmallows, 1 cup cream, 2 cups sugar and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Simmer, stirring, 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 3 cups chocolate chips until smooth. Spread in a foil-lined 9-by13-inch pan. Let cool and cut into squares.

Salted Caramel Sauce

Simmer 1 ½ cups sugar and ½ cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling the pan but not stirring until dark amber, about 12 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in 1 cup cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and ½  teaspoon sea salt. Let cool, then divide among jars and chill.

I have had this recipe since summer and have been trying to find a place to use it. My daughter-in-law came back from a week at the beach and had this recipe which she said was just wonderful. I think it would be something new and great to do over the holidays and I am putting it on my list to do. I have heard that you cannot stop eating these!

Chocolate Balls

(Do not know exactly how many these make)
Crush to powder 1 package of Oreos and mix 8oz. package cream cheese (let cream cheese warm up on the counter first). Roll into balls and refrigerate for 1 hour. Then dip in melted white and milk chocolate. (The original recipe called for using tubs of dipping chocolate (in the baking isle made by Baker’s). You will need 1-2 tubs of each white and milk. For decoration drizzle the opposite chocolate over the top. Refrigerate overnight. You can use chocolate chips melted with some cream. This will be a little more difficult and messy compared to the tubs.

YUM!

It is that time of year when I begin to think of what to give friends and neighbors for Christmas. I usually send fruit from Pittman & Davis to friends out of state. Their fruit is really good and shipping is included. Their e-mail address is fruit@pittmandavis.com. Locally one can give gifts of pecans and peanuts. I received a bag of peanuts from Sumblin Farms in Kinston, Alabama, and thought that was such a great gift that can be used in the weeks to come.  Thank you Anne for sending me those peanuts! (She included the recipe for roasting: preheat oven to 500 degrees, place full baking sheet of peanuts in oven, turn off after 4 minutes.  Do not open oven until cooled.) Priester’s Pecans in Fort Deposit, Alabama, have a great selection of pecan gifts. I love going into their store and it is only an hours drive from Andalusia. Their e-mail is priesters.com if you cannot get to their store. Or pick pecans locally.  Shelling the pecans gives added value to the gift. For gifts of honey try the Savannah Bee Co. Tupelo Honey, Georgia, for simple fresh honey. Their e-mail is savannahbee.com. The list can go on and on as I am sure you are aware, but perhaps the best gifts would be from your own kitchen.

Recently as I showed some official guests around town and we had a tour of a local entrepreneur’s gourmet products kitchen.  They make their products using local honey and have an array of jellies, jams, sauces and even just honey. www.magnoliahoney.com I particularly liked their Jezebel Sauce.  This is a southern sauce (maybe having its origin on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.)  Recipes vary but a jar of pineapple or apricot preserves, a jar of apple jelly, ½ cup horseradish, 3 Tbs dry mustard, 2 tsp course ground black pepper is typical.  Serve over pork or chicken, as a dip for eggrolls or over cream cheese.  Horseradish is the key.  Mix the ingredients to your taste.  Or buy some from Magnolia Honey which of course adds honey to the mix.

All the December magazines have edible gifts to give. Probably you have your own edible gifts that you do every Christmas. Perhaps you have that perfect fruitcake recipe or cookie recipe. I read that fruit cakes were coming back into favor since William and Katherine had one inside their wedding cake! The New Orleans paper is giving out praline recipes (which are fun to make and give). They use your local pecans which makes them somewhat cheaper to make.  Food Network Magazine for December had 50 edible gifts to give. I liked them because they were simple and not time consuming. Just put these gifts in a jar or tin and put a ribbon on the container and you have a great gift for friends or as a hostess gift.

White Chocolate-Peppermint Bark (I love this stuff.)

Melt 12 ounces finely chopped white chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Sir in 1 tablespoon melted shortening and 4 ounces chopped white chocolate until smooth. Spread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 cup chopped peppermint candies. Let harden; break into pieces.

Holiday Party Mix

Melt 1 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread with ½ stick butter in a large bowl in the microwave at 50 percent power. Stir in 8 cups Chex cereal. Transfer to a large re-sealable plastic bag; add a 1-pound box confectioners’ sugar and shake to coat. Add ¼ cup colored sprinkles and ½ cup each yogurt-covered raisins and red and green M&M’s; toss to combine.

Turtles

Arrange small clusters of pecans on a baking sheet. Melt unwrapped soft caramels in the microwave and drizzle over each cluster. Top with melted chocolate. Let harden.

Spiced Rum Balls

Mix 3 ½ cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies, 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, ¾ teaspoon each nutmeg and cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon ground ginger. Stir in 3 tablespoons light corn syrup and 1/3 cup each brandy and rum. Roll into balls and chill until firm. Roll in confectioners’ sugar.

Sugar Plums

Finely chop 1 ¼ cups toasted almonds in a food processor with 1 ½ cups each prune and dried apricots, 3 tablespoons honey,  1 teaspoon orange zest, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Roll into balls, then roll in coarse sugar.

Chocolate Haystacks

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in the microwave. Stir in 2 ½ cups chow mein noodles until coated. Drop spoonfulls on an oiled parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Let harden.

Chocolate Orange Peels

Peel 3 oranges. Cut the rind into strips and boil in water 15 minutes; then drain and rinse. Simmer 3 sups each sugar and water. Add the peel and cook until soft, 45 minutes. Drain and toss in sugar. Transfer to a rack to dry, 8 hours. Dip in bittersweet chocolate; let harden.

Chocolate Fudge

Melt ½ stick butter, 4 cups marshmallows, 1 cup cream, 2 cups sugar and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Simmer, stirring, 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 3 cups chocolate chips until smooth. Spread in a foil-lined 9-by13-inch pan. Let cool and cut into squares.

Salted Caramel Sauce

Simmer 1 ½ cups sugar and ½ cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling the pan but not stirring until dark amber, about 12 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in 1 cup cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and ½  teaspoon sea salt. Let cool, then divide among jars and chill.

I have had this recipe since summer and have been trying to find a place to use it. My daughter-in-law came back from a week at the beach and had this recipe which she said was just wonderful. I think it would be something new and great to do over the holidays and I am putting it on my list to do. I have heard that you cannot stop eating these!

Chocolate Balls

(Do not know exactly how many these make)
Crush to powder 1 package of Oreos and mix 8oz. package cream cheese (let cream cheese warm up on the counter first). Roll into balls and refrigerate for 1 hour. Then dip in melted white and milk chocolate. (The original recipe called for using tubs of dipping chocolate (in the baking isle made by Baker’s). You will need 1-2 tubs of each white and milk. For decoration drizzle the opposite chocolate over the top. Refrigerate overnight. You can use chocolate chips melted with some cream. This will be a little more difficult and messy compared to the tubs.

YUM!