Radishes: Friend or Foe?

radishes and Hakurei turnips at Full Moon Farm in Vermont

They've been used in traditional Asian medicine as a cure for whooping cough, tummy problems, arthritis and even cancer. In ancient Greece they were so revered that replicas were fashioned out of gold. They are popular in a variety of cuisines, from Japanese to German.
And yet, Pliny regarded radishes as 'vulgar' because it caused 'flatulance and eructation' (also known as belching). And as an American chef, a plethora of them can be stupefying. But as I began to play with them, they really are much more versatile than just a tangy crunch added to salads or some color added to a canape. Here's what worked in my kitchen this week...

PICKLE THEM: You can make a quick pickle of them by mixing 3 cups of water, 1 cup of vinegar (white or rice wine) and 1/2 cup of sugar and bringing it to a boil. Slice two bunches of radishes thinly if you want them to pick up the pickle flavor in a few hours, or cut them in half for an overnight pickle. Place the radishes in a clean glass bowl or jar and pour the hot solution over them. Add sliced jalapenos, or peeled and thinly sliced fresh ginger, along with some peeled, halved garlic cloves for additional flavor. Allow to cool, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours for a mild flavor, overnight and up to 3 days for a stronger pickled flavor. These are so fresh tasting and crunchy- serve them as you would any pickle, or add them to chicken or tuna salad.
ROAST THEM: Trim them and toss them with olive oil, fresh thyme or other assertive herb (sage, rosemary) and kosher salt and black pepper and place in a single layer on a baking pan. Roast at 450 degrees until golden, about an hour. You can also add them to a roasted vegetable medley, including such veggies as potatoes, parsnips, and carrots.
GLAZE THEM: Trim them and cut them into halves or wedges. Place in a deep skillet and cover with water. Simmer for 10 minutes, covered, and then uncover and cook until tender, about another 5 minutes, depending on how small you cut them. Drain. Add a few tablespoons of butter to the skillet, along with a tablespoon or so of brown sugar or honey. Cook, stirring, until the butter is melted. Add the radishes and shake the pan to coat them with the glaze. Season with kosher salt and serve.

They do also make great additions to stir fries, and I like to chop them up, toss them with a little lime juice, and serve atop a tostada or in a taco.

Friend or Foe?? Friend, I think!

Spring Harvest Spring Rolls

This week's share brought more lettuces- a peppery Asian mix and baby greens as well as deer tongue and leaf lettuce. There are also some spring onions and Hakurei turnips (very much like mild radishes). I had a barbeque to attend, and decided to bring some spring rolls to share as appetizers.
These spring rolls are made with rice wrappers. While I often go to the Oriental Food Market in Norwalk, CT to get my Asian ingredients, I found sesame oil and rice wrappers at the local Shop Rite in the Asian section. Very convenient!! These keep for days, and are a refreshing snack-- a really easy way to get those vegetables into your diet.
Knife skills are important here. If you have a mandolin, and are not a complete clutz with them, that's a great way to julienne your vegetables. Or you can cut them into planks and stack them in the feed tube of your food processor and use the slicing disc. OR you can get a really thin julienne of carrots by using a vegetable peeler and peeling wide strips and then stacking them and slicing them. Whichever works for you.
Some of the vegetables are stir-fried and chilled, and then I top them with the crisp, peppery Asian greens for more crunch. The sauce is also very easy, but if time is an issue, Ken's Asian Sesame Salad Dressing makes a great dipping sauce, too.

Spring Harvest Rolls

4 dried shitake mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
1 medium bunch bok choy, or 2 baby bok choy
2 carrots
2 spring onions
1-inch piece fresh ginger
1 fat clove garlic, or two medium cloves of garlic
4 cups water
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
30 (approximately) leaves of Asian lettuce mix (or any mixed baby greens)
15 spring roll wrappers

2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 Tablespoon sherry or rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water

1. Boil about 2 cups of water, pour over the mushrooms and let sit for about 30 minutes, until soft.
2. Cut the leafy tops off the bok choy (reserve for another recipe). Wash the stalks and cut into matchstick sized pieces. Peel the carrots and cut into matchstick sized pieces. Trim the bright green, woody stem of the onion and cut the white bulb and tender part of the stem into slivers.
3. When the mushrooms are ready, drain and cut off the woody stem. Cut the caps into slivers.
4. Grate the ginger on the smallest side of a box grater or with a zester. Mince the garlic.

5. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a pot and add the bok choy. Cook for  one minute, drain and rinse in cold water. Heat the oil in a wok and add the ginger and garlic. Cook for a minute or two- just until the mixture becomes fragrant. Add the onions and carrots and cook until they begin to wilt. Add the bok choy and mushrooms and cook for 3 or 4 more minutes. Chill.

6. Meanwhile make the sauce by combining the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, sherry, cornstarch and cold water. 

7. Fill a wide, shallow dish, such as a pie pan, with warm water. Add a spring roll wrapper and let soak 20 to 30 seconds, until pliable. Remove from water and place about 2 Tablespoons of the vegetables in the center of the wrapper. Top with a few leaves of crisp, fresh lettuce. Fold the sides in, and then roll up the roll from the bottom as tightly as possible, as if it were a burrito. Repeat with remaining filling and rolls. Chill. Just before serving, cut each spring roll in half, on an angle, and serve with dipping sauce.

Lettuce: it's not just for salads anymore

June 10th share

The first few weeks of the harvest bring mostly greens, and this week is no exception. I have some beautiful veggies, -- not a lot of variety, though. There is baby leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, escarole (aka bitter lettuce), kale, Asian mix (aka 'lettuce mix'), purple and green kohlrabi and some pots of herbs. Full shares also got romaine lettuce, radishes and hakurei (aka 'salad turnips'), bok choy, and dandelion greens. 

I like salad, and did pick up some fun salad additions to encourage me to eat more salad but, really, how much salad can one person eat? 

Before I go any further, let's talk about how to prepare the veggies for storage. For the heads of lettuce, break off the leaves and wash well.. I fill a bowl with water and gently swish the leaves around, then remove them from the water and check how much dirt is in the water. I repeat this process until there is no more dirt, then dry the leaves in a salad spinner. To store, I place the leaves in a single layer on a clean tea towel, roll it up loosely and place in a plastic bag in the fridge. For the kohlrabi, radishes and Hakurei turnips, it's important to remove the bulbs from their greens and store them separately. Otherwise the greens will suck up the moisture from the bulbs, leaving them soft and mushy. The very tender greens- baby lettuce and Asian greens, spoil quickly in plastic bags. I place them in bowls and cover them with plastic, or these cool plastic covers that look like shower caps. This way the fragile greens don't get crushed. All of this took me about 20 minutes, and I know my greens will last the week, fresh and springy.

This week I am using some of the lettuce as wraps for a really yummy curried egg salad, and am stir-frying the Asian greens to be served with grilled tofu. Some of the lettuce will end up atop salad pizza. I'll serve the kale Brazilian-style with some baked chicken and herbed polenta. This is going to be a fun week of cooking!

Curried Egg Salad in Lettuce Wraps

The chives in this recipe can be replaced with chopped scallions. This dish can be served at a luncheon, or as an appetizer.

4 large eggs

3 Tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons sweet curry powder

1/8 teaspoon paprika

2 Tablespoons chopped chives

1/2 small jalapeno pepper

1/2 lime

kosher salt and white pepper to taste

1/2 head of leaf lettuce

1. Hard cook the eggs: place them in a pot with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and cover tightly. Let sit in the hot water for 12 minutes. Drain, and run cold water over them until they are cool. Peel them and mash (I use a pastry blender for this job). 

2. Cut the jalapeno in half and carefully remove the seeds and veins. Mince very well and add to the eggs with the chives.

3. Add the mayonnaise, curry powder, paprika, the zest and juice of half a lime, and a pinch of kosher salt and white pepper. Mix well and taste—if necessary, add more lime juice or salt and pepper.

4. While the eggs are cooking, prepare the lettuce by pulling off the leaves, washing and spinning dry. 

5. Place a tablespoon or so into the center of each lettuce leaf. Roll up and enjoy!

curried egg salad in lettuce wraps

Brazilian Style Greens

I’ve always assumed that greens have to be cooked long and slow in order to be tender and not bitter. I was very, very wrong. This style of cooking brings out the bright flavor of the greens and they are remarkably tender.

2 to 4 servings

1 bunch greens, such as collard, kale or escarole

1 small onion

2 Tablespoons oil or lard

1 very fat clove garlic, or 2 medium cloves

salt and pepper to taste

1. Strip the leaves from the thick stems of the greens. Stack the leaves and roll them up. Cut them into very thin strips and then separate them into ribbons. Cut the onion in half and peel and slice thinly. Peel and mince the garlic.

2. Heat the oil or lard and add the onion. Cook the onion until wilted. 

3. Add the greens and cook, stirring, over high heat until wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir through. Cook another 2 or 3 minutes, until the greens become quite fragrant. 

4. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Enjoy the week!! If you want any of the recipes I've mentioned, just ask. 

Chili. Chicago Chili. Chili Cheese Fries. Tamale Pie. Chili.

I'm still working on the pork, trying to make the most of everything I have-- trying to make this wonderful meat last as long as I can. While the weather shows signs of spring, there is still a nip in the air, and I was inspired to make a big pot of something. This weekend I made chili. My 'leftover' meals will include Chicago Chili (really just chili over pasta) with salad and garlic bread, Chili Cheese Fries  with fresh green beans and Tamale Pie served with a big Caesar salad. But first for the chili.

Basic Chili

2 ounces bacon or ham fat (I used what I trimmed off the roast, and had frozen)

1 onion

2 stalks celery

2 carrots

1 poblano chili pepper

2 fat cloves garlic

6 ounces ground pork

1 32-ounce can tomato sauce

1 can niblet corn or 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn

1 can red kidney beans or 2 cups cooked kidney beans

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

12 ounces dark beer

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

1. Dice the bacon or fat and place in a cold, deep, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium and let cook slowly until the fat renders out.

2. Meanwhile, peel and dice the onion, trim the celery, carrots, poblano and garlic and dice. Add to the fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to become transparent. Make sure not to brown the vegetables, or they'll bring a bitterness to the dish. If that starts to happen, lower the heat.

3. Crumble the pork and add to the pot. Cook, stirring, until it is no longer pink.

4. Add the tomato sauce. Drain the corn if using canned corn, and drain and rinse the kidney beans if using canned. Add to the pot with all the seasonings. Bring to a simmer.

5. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours, checking every half hour. If it is getting too thick, and water (up to 1 cup) and stir before covering and returning to the oven.

6. Remove from oven and add the beer. Stir and cook on the stove, at a low simmer, for 30 minutes. 

7. Taste and correct seasoning with salt and pepper.

8. Serve with grated cheddar cheese, chopped scallions and sour cream

Chicago Chili: Serve over cooked pasta (spaghetti, linguini, fettucini) with lots of grated cheese

Chili Cheese Fries: Make potato fries, either baked or fried (I 'oven fry' mine, tossing cut potatoes in a small amount of oil and baking at 400 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how thick you cut your 'fries'). Heat your chili and have grated cheddar cheese ready. Place 1/2 portion of fries on a plate or in a bowl. Add 1/2 a portion of chili and some cheese, repeat with remaining potatoes, chili and cheese. 

Tamale Pie: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Make a batch of cornbread batter (recipe below). Heat three to four cups of chili and pour into an 8" pan. Pour the cornbread batter over all. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Cornbread Topping

 3/4 cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

 Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Lightly beat the egg into the milk and oil and add to the dry ingredients. Carefully pour over the chili, spreading to the corners. Place in oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until cornbread is brown and chili is bubbling underneath.

YUM YUM YUMMY YUM

HAM! and leftovers...

BEFORE the glaze

I cooked a picnic ham from my share of the pig.  This ham is very different than commercial  ham. For one, it is not pastel pink. And it does not have that silvery glisten you often see. With no salty after-taste, it is, in the words of my guests, more 'porky', yet definitely cured.
This was an 8 pound bone-in picnic ham. Even with my two sons, daughter-in-law, and three guests there are tons of leftovers. The mildness of the cure allows more possibilities in using the ham. This week it will be a traditional use of leftover ham- lentil soup as well as a version of Spaghetti Carbonara.
Here's the original menu:

Glazed Baked Ham

Mashed Potatoes with Scallions

Roasted Green Beans

salad

Fresh Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I made the mashed potatoes the day before, without the scallions and trimmed and washed the green beans. While the roast was resting, I put the potatoes in a 350 degree oven (adding a bit more milk), covered, to heat along with the beans that were tossed with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. I stirred the scallions into the potatoes just before I served them.

Glazed Baked Ham

1 8 to 10 pound ham (preferably bone-in picnic)

1 large onion

1 Tablespoon dry mustard, such as Colman’s

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup stone ground mustard

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1. Peel and slice the onion. Carefully slice off the skin from the ham, leaving the fat. Set the skin aside.

2. Combine the dry mustard and black pepper. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

3. Put the brown sugar, mustard, vinegar and marmalade in a saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until thickened, about 15 minutes. 

4. Score the fat on the ham by making diagonal slashes from top to bottom. Turn it and score from the other direction to make a diamond pattern.

5. Place the sliced onion in a baking pan (if you have a deep enough one with a cover, that’s great—otherwise you can cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil). Place the ham, with the bone pointing up, on top of the onion. 

6. Rub the dry mustard and pepper mixture all over the ham. Cover tightly (with lid or aluminum foil) and bake 2 to 3 hours, until the internal thermometer registers 140 degrees (use a meat thermometer or instant read thermometer). 

7. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.Remove the ham from the oven. . Either drain off any liquid in the pan, or place the ham in a clean baking pan and generously brush with glaze. Bake 25 minutes, until the glaze is browned. Remove from the oven, and let rest 20 minutes.

8. Meanwhile, add about 1 cup of the drained liquid to the remaining glaze. Cook over medium heat to thicken slightly.

9. Slice the ham and serve with the sauce.

Leftover Ham Lentil Soup

A perfect lunch with a grilled cheese sandwich

LUNCH!

1 ham bone from a picnic ham

1/4 cup pieces of ham fat, drippings from 2 slices of bacon, or 2 Tablespoons oil

1 large onion

2 carrots

2 stalks of celery

1/4 small head of white cabbage

2 cloves garlic

1 pound dry lentils

8 cups water

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup diced ham

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill

salt and pepper

1. Carefully sort through the lentils, picking out any that are discolored or wrinkled. Rinse them in cold water.

2. Dice the onion, carrot, cabbage and celery. (If you want to have more texture, you can slice the cabbage into thin strips). Finely mince the garlic.

3. If using ham fat, place in a large, heavy skillet and cook over very low heat until all of the fat has rendered. Remove any cracklings. If using bacon fat or oil, heat in the skillet. 

4. Add the vegetables and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions and celery are translucent. 

5. Place the ham bone in a large soup pot and add the lentils, vegetables, water and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 2 hours, until the lentils are soft.

6. Add the dill and ham and cook another 10 minutes. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Other ideas for leftover ham: add to Red Beans and Rice, use in Fried Rice or Jambalaya, add cubes to Macaroni and Cheese, toss cubes with vinegar and fresh rosemary and serve cold with hot crusty bread, put into 'twice-baked potatoes' along with some steamed broccoli and cheddar-- the possibilities are endless!

Bourbon Brined Chops, Sesame Noodles and Mou Shu Pork!

Patty of Springdell Farm

Another week gone with my pork share! With the incredibly lean chops I made Maple Glazed Pork Chops and Bourbon Brined Chops. I  also made Sesame Noodles with Pork and Mou Shu Pork with Cantonese Pancakes.
The Sesame Noodles and Mou Shu are recipes that are very adaptable. Add broccoli, beans, bok choy or whatever you have about to the Sesame Noodles. The key is to slice them very thinly and keep them crisp. Mou Shu is also versatile- don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. If you don't have black mushrooms, use fresh shitake mushrooms. If you don't have bean sprouts, use bok choy or cabbage or even green beans.

Bourbon Brined Pork Chops with Bourbon Glaze

For the brine:
3 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
one cup bourbon
4 thick pork chops
1. Combine the water, salt and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let cool to lukewarm and add the bourbon. Add the chops and let brine in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours.
2. To cook chops, remove them from the brine and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Heat a small amount of oil in a heavy skillet and brown the chops until golden – about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet and place in oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze.
For the glaze:
1 small onion or 2 shallots
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup bourbon
1/4 cup maple syrup
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Finely dice the onion or shallots and finely mince the garlic. Heat the butter in a skillet and add the onion. Saute over low heat until translucent. Turn the heat to high and cook until the onion begins to brown.
2. Add the bourbon, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove all the browned bits. Reduce the heat and add the maple syrup. Cook, stirring, until thickened.
3. Pour over the chops and serve.

Mou Shu Pork

Mandarin Pancakes (below)
Hoisin Sauce
1- 1/2 pound boneless pork
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
6 large dried black mushrooms
2 scallions
2 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon soy sauce (light or dark)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup chicken broth or water

1. Prepare the Mandarin Pancakes, below.
2. Shred pork into slivers. Toss with cornstarch, salt, soy sauce, sugar and white pepper. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Soak the mushrooms in hot water until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, rinse in water and drain again. Remove and discard the stems and cut the caps into thin slices. Cut green onions into 2 inch pieces. Mix water, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
4. Heat a wok or large skillet until 1 or 2 drops of water bubble and skitter when sprinkled into the wok. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Mix egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and dash of white pepper; pour into wok. Rotate the wok to coat the bottom with egg. Fry the egg until firm, turning once, about 10 seconds. Remove the egg from the wok; cut into thin strips.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to wok. Add the garlic and stir-fry until brown. Add the pork and stir-fry until no longer pink. Add mushrooms and bamboo shoots; stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth; cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook and stir until thickened, about 10 seconds. Add green onions and egg strips. Cook and stir 30 seconds.
6. To serve, each person takes a pancake and spreads it with hoisin sauce, then spoons about 1/4 cup pork mixture into center. Fold two opposite sides over filling, overlapping edges about 1/2-inch in center. Fold one unfolded edge over folded sides to form a pocket.
Mandarin Pancakes:
2 –1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
sesame oil as needed

1. Mix the flour and water with a fork until dough holds together. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Shape the dough into an 8-inch roll (like the ‘snakes’ you used to make with playdoh). Cut the roll into eight 1” slices. Cut each slice into halves. Cover the pieces of dough with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.
2. Shape each of 2 pieces of dough into a ball. Flatten slightly and then roll each ball of dough into a 4” circle on a lightly floured surface. Brush the top of one circle with sesame oil; top with remaining circle. Roll each double circle into a 7-inch circle, sprinkling the surface with flour sparingly, as needed. Repeat with remaining pieces.
3. Heat an ungreased skillet over medium heat until warm. Cook one circle at a time, turning frequently, until the pancake is blistered with air pockets, turns slightly translucent and feels dry. Do not overcook the pancake or it will become brittle. Carefully separate the 2 pancakes. Repeat each step with remaining circles.

Szechwan Noodles with Sesame Sauce

1/2 cup (or more) water
1/2 cup smooth sesame tahini
2 Tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound fettuccini
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large pork chop
1 red bell pepper
1 large carrot
2 to 3 scallions
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1. Peel and mince the garlic and chop the peanuts. Slice the pork into thin slivers. Cut the bell pepper and carrot into matchstick slices. Finely chop the scallions.
2. Mix 1/2 cup of water, tahini, peanut butter, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, chili-garlic sauce and minced garlic in medium bowl to blend well (sauce will be thick). Set aside.
3. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to the bite, about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss the noodles with one tablespoon of oil in a large bowl.
4. Saute the pork strips in the remaining tablespoon of oil until no longer pink.
5. Add the bell pepper, carrot and pork to the noodles. Toss with enough peanut sauce to coat. Sprinkle with scallions, peanuts and sesame seeds.

Next week: What I did with a huge ham steak!

I HAVE A THIRD OF A PIG!!!

It's true!!!
Back in September I told Fred Monahan at Stone Gardens Farm that I was interested in a pork share. A friend and I had split a share of beef last year-- the difference in taste is amazing. And I have the satisfaction of knowing that the cow had a good life, somewhat spoiled by Fred and Stacia's kids. So, Fred found a piglet to raise, and it's here.
A meat share comes fully fabricated- so if you are thinking I have a carcass hanging in my garage, not so much. What I have is a freezer full of chops, roasts, sausage, hocks, feet, back fat, neck bones, etceteras. Today we pick up the cured products: hams and ham steaks and bacon.
So, while I wait for the spring harvest (despite the hills of snow on my patio, I'm convinced that spring will come) I can share what I'm doing with all this pork. Eating my way through a third of a pig.....

I opened up a package of pork chops first....

Menu A:

Maple Glazed Pork Chops

Braised Broccoli Rabe

Onion Smashed Potatoes

Menu B:

Bourbon Brined Pork Chops with Bourbon Sauce

Cauliflower and Carrot Bake

Corn Fritters

Menu C:

Sesame Noodles with Pork

Stir Fried Broccoli

Maple Glazed Pork Chops

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Season the chops (at least 1-1/2" thick) with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a heavy, oven-proof skillet and add 1 to 2 tablespoons oil. Brown the chops quickly on both sides. Pour enough apple juice (or better yet, apple cider) into the pan- enough to come halfway up the chops. Cover tightly and place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes.
3. Combine 1/2 cup pure maple syrup with 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce and 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (this quantity is enough for 4 chops). Remove the chops from the oven, uncover and pour the glaze over them. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the glaze is thick and shiny.

Onion Smashed Potatoes

1. Dice an onion and mince 2 scallions. Wash 4 baking potatoes and cut into eighths. Place in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a deep skillet. Add the onion and cook over low heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Do not brown. 
3. Add the drained potatoes and 2 heaping tablespoons of sour cream. Mash with a potato masher for a minute or so, and then add 1/2 cup milk. Continue to mash until soft, but not smooth.  
4. Serve garnished with the scallions.

Coming soon...Bourbon Brined Pork Chops and Corn Fritters