October 2007, Volume 2 Issue 9
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In this issue:
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In this issue:
Welcome to the October Foodletter
Alan's Recipes of the Month: Pear and Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger, Sweet and Sour Medallions of Pork, Apples Baked with Cranberry Juice
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Welcome to the October Foodletter!
Alan's Recipes of the Month: Pear and Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger, Sweet and Sour Medallions of Pork, Apples Baked with Cranberry Juice
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Welcome to the October Foodletter!
We had dinner with some friends from Michigan the other night. We try to get together a few times a year. But this year just...
Well, we saw them the other night and as we were waving goodbye, I said to Alan, "Wasn't that nice? Now I feel like summer can officially begin."
"Uh, honey?"
Yup. It's been that kind of year.
And it's not just me. Many of our friends report the same time-out-of-control feeling, so I think we're looking at spatial anomolies here (why won't Environment Canada take my reports seriously?).
Now Halloween is just around the corner.
Alan and I quite enjoy Halloween night. He buys way too much candy and we keep all the best stuff for ourselves (especially this year - we were tagged again).
We sit on our porch with a big glass of red wine and say hi to everyone who walks by. For some reason, this seems to scare the parents. I'm fine with that. Why should the kids have all the fun?
As the summer farmers markets wind down, Alan is getting to work on his next e-cookbook: Winter Dinner Recipes. I am a happy and willing guinea pig, though I think I'll need to up my walking schedule!
We'll keep you posted as the new one progresses, meanwhile, the first in the series, Autumn Dinner Recipes is available here.
I hope time is moving as it should where you are and that your Halloween is just as scary as you want it to be!
Pear and Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger
Ingredients
1 T Olive Oil
1 med Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 ribs Celery, finely sliced
3 med Leeks, whites mostly, sliced and rinsed under cool water to clean
3 Shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
¼ c Ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 Pears (Bartlet, Anjou, Bosc, etc), peeled and cored
4 med Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
4 c Chicken or Vegetable Stock, or water
Salt and Pepper, to taste
½ c Yogurt
Pickled Ginger, cut into fine strips (optional)
Method
Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, leek, shallots and ginger and cook gently until soft. Add three of the four pears, the sweet potatoes and the stock/water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender (35-45 minutes). Puree the soup in a blender until smooth (and pass through a fine-mesh strainer, if desired).
Return the soup to the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chop the remaining pear into a fine dice and mix with the pickled ginger (if using). Serve the soup with a small scoop of the yogurt and top with some of the pear/ginger mixture.
Serves 6.
Sweet and Sour Medallions of Pork
Ingredients
2 whole Pork Loins, cut into 2-inch long pieces
3 T Unsalted Butter
1 T Olive oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 lg Clove of Garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 med Shallot, peeled and finely chopped
4-5 Fresh Sage Leaves (or a pinch of dried)
¾ c Dry White Wine
1/3 c White Wine Vinegar
¼ c Sugar
2 T Unsalted Butter, optional
Method
Heat the butter and oil in a good, heavy, non-stick pan (cast iron is great, if you have one) over medium-high heat. When the butter foams, add the pork pieces and cook on all sides until golden brown. Remove the pieces to a platter.
Add the garlic, shallot & sage to the pan and cook for one minute (being careful not to let the garlic burn). Add the wine, vinegar and sugar. Scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the meat back into the pan and cook, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes longer – turning and basting as you go.
Remove the meat to a serving platter and reduce the sauce until it is thick and syrupy. If using the butter, remove the pan from the heat and swirl it in. Pour the sauce over the pork and serve.
Serves 4-6.
Apples Baked in Cranberry Juice
Ingredients
6 med Apples, such as Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Pippin, Granny Smith,
½ c Sugar
1 c Brown Sugar
1 t Ground Cinnamon
½ c Walnuts, coarsely chopped
½ c Golden Raisins
1 ½ c Cranberry Juice
2 T Unsalted Butter
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a melon baller or potato peeler to core the apples, leaving the bottom intact. Remove a half-inch strip of peel from around the top hole. Place the apples in baking dish.
Mix the two sugars, cinnamon, walnuts and raisins. Stuff this mixture into the apples and top each with a bit of butter. Pour the juice around the apples.
Cover the dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until just tender.
Carefully place each apple onto a plate. Pour the juice into a small pan and simmer it over medium-high heat until reduced to ¾ cup. Drizzle this over the apples and serve.
Pear and Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger
Ingredients
1 T Olive Oil
1 med Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 ribs Celery, finely sliced
3 med Leeks, whites mostly, sliced and rinsed under cool water to clean
3 Shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
¼ c Ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 Pears (Bartlet, Anjou, Bosc, etc), peeled and cored
4 med Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
4 c Chicken or Vegetable Stock, or water
Salt and Pepper, to taste
½ c Yogurt
Pickled Ginger, cut into fine strips (optional)
Method
Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, leek, shallots and ginger and cook gently until soft. Add three of the four pears, the sweet potatoes and the stock/water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender (35-45 minutes). Puree the soup in a blender until smooth (and pass through a fine-mesh strainer, if desired).
Return the soup to the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chop the remaining pear into a fine dice and mix with the pickled ginger (if using). Serve the soup with a small scoop of the yogurt and top with some of the pear/ginger mixture.
Serves 6.
Sweet and Sour Medallions of Pork
Ingredients
2 whole Pork Loins, cut into 2-inch long pieces
3 T Unsalted Butter
1 T Olive oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 lg Clove of Garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 med Shallot, peeled and finely chopped
4-5 Fresh Sage Leaves (or a pinch of dried)
¾ c Dry White Wine
1/3 c White Wine Vinegar
¼ c Sugar
2 T Unsalted Butter, optional
Method
Heat the butter and oil in a good, heavy, non-stick pan (cast iron is great, if you have one) over medium-high heat. When the butter foams, add the pork pieces and cook on all sides until golden brown. Remove the pieces to a platter.
Add the garlic, shallot & sage to the pan and cook for one minute (being careful not to let the garlic burn). Add the wine, vinegar and sugar. Scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the meat back into the pan and cook, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes longer – turning and basting as you go.
Remove the meat to a serving platter and reduce the sauce until it is thick and syrupy. If using the butter, remove the pan from the heat and swirl it in. Pour the sauce over the pork and serve.
Serves 4-6.
Apples Baked in Cranberry Juice
Ingredients
6 med Apples, such as Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Pippin, Granny Smith,
½ c Sugar
1 c Brown Sugar
1 t Ground Cinnamon
½ c Walnuts, coarsely chopped
½ c Golden Raisins
1 ½ c Cranberry Juice
2 T Unsalted Butter
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a melon baller or potato peeler to core the apples, leaving the bottom intact. Remove a half-inch strip of peel from around the top hole. Place the apples in baking dish.
Mix the two sugars, cinnamon, walnuts and raisins. Stuff this mixture into the apples and top each with a bit of butter. Pour the juice around the apples.
Cover the dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until just tender.
Carefully place each apple onto a plate. Pour the juice into a small pan and simmer it over medium-high heat until reduced to ¾ cup. Drizzle this over the apples and serve.
