Perfect Peas & Pork (Chops)

HOPPIN JOHN

With a freezer full of peas that I've just "put up" - It was time to start doing something with them, so I made some Hoppin' John with pork chops last night for dinner.

For those of you "not from here", Hoppin' John is basically peas and rice.  It is a southern United States version of the traditional rice and beans dish from West Africa. In the southern coastal areas, we use field peas; black eyed peas are used most everywhere else.  For the most part, in everything I've read, Hoppin' John seems to come from the Low Country cuisine of the Carolinas, which is the cooking style most associated with the sea islands - the cluster of coastal islands off S. Carolina and Georgia (surely, you've heard of Sea Island, Georgia, a beautifully peaceful place).  It is usually prepared by simmering the peas with a ham hock and some veggies - I tend to take the (Louisiana) Trinity approach on the veggies:  onions, celery and bell pepper.

You've possibly heard of Hoppin' John referenced as served with collards or other greens for a traditional southern New Years Day dish.  It is said to bring good luck.  There are tons of legends about how the dish got its name ... everything from a crippled man, nick-named Hoppin' John, selling the dish in Charleston, to the custom of southern children hopping once around the table before the dish was served.   But the one I like best (because it definitely defines what I have seen of some parts of South Carolina) is that a SC custom was to invite a guest over to eat by saying "Hop In John!"  One thing I do know for sure is that it is a "tradition":  It was first written in a cookbook called The Carolina Housewife, by Sara Rutledge, published in 1847.

Most recipes are rather similar, but there are definitely different variations.  Some cook the peas with the rice, some ladle them (and their "pea liquor") over the rice.  I like to cook my peas separately from my rice.  Here's my version:

INGREDIENTS:

For the peas:
1 Vidalia Onion, medium diced
1/2 cup celery, small dice
1/4 cup red bell pepper, small dice
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp jalapeno pepper, minced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil (Extra Virgin is my favorite)
2 cups Chicken Stock
2 cups water
1 quart Field Peas (should  be a little over a pound when thawed)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Fresh Ground Pepper and Kosher Sea Salt
3 slices thick cut Applewood Smoked Bacon

For the rice:
1 cup of Uncle Ben's (no lie - Uncle Ben's is the only way to go)
2 cups water
1 Tbsp Salted Butter
Salt

DIRECTIONS:

DICE Your Veggies ... Small on the celery, Medium on the onion and Small on the bell pepper

(1) Heat a medium dutch oven with olive oil in it and saute the onions, celery and bell pepper (I use red because it's pretty ... green can also be used - that's more traditional for the Trinity.  Personal Preference here!) for about 4 minutes - keep the crunch ... don't let the onions get too soft.












(2) Add the garlic and jalapeno and saute till just "fragrant" - lots of people ask what that means.  I usually don't saute garlic and jalapenos for longer than a minute otherwise the garlic burns and the dish is better off in the trashcan.  burnt garlic = yuck. It can overcome the taste of any dish.








(3)  Add the peas, the stock (I use 2 cups+ stock and cut it with 2 cups- water because my stock is homemade, and tends to be a little more heavy than most) the water, all the seasonings and bacon.  Bring to a boil, and turn it down to simmer till the peas are YOUR DESIRED CONSISTENCY.  I stress this because some people would cook them all day till they are really creamy; others might like them cooked for only about 20mins - just till tender.



For the Rice:

Put it all in a small pot, cover with a lid, bring to a boil and turn it down to low and let it go for 20mins.  Right before you serve, fluff it with a fork and put the lid back on.

WINE PAIRING:  Those of you who know me, know that I usually don't match my food to my wines - red meat + red wine / pork + white wine - but the recipe I used for the pork chops (coming up next) uses 1/2 cup of white wine, and it was open ... and it sure was a good match!  So, try the 2010  Vincent Delaporte Sancerre, from the Loire Valley.  Should run you about $25 (a steal!).  I keep about 1/2 a case of this in my wine fridge all the time.  It's good, balanced, light, crisp.  Great summer drinking!

Pork Chops (for the Peas!)

Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce

This is one of my all time favorites.  It is so simple and the taste is "candlelight dinner" delish!  It's also great because it's a one-pan meal, perfect for a week day too.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Boneless pork chops; about 1" thick
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Salt, Pepper & pinch of cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
3/4 cup half & half
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
2 Tbsp stone ground mustard




DIRECTIONS:


(1)  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Season the pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides.  Put the flour in a flat bowl and season it with salt pepper and a pinch of cayenne.

(2)  Lightly dredge the pork chops in the flour mixture; shake off the excess flour - if you don't do this, it will clump, and you will end up with fried (or possibly burned) bits on the edges instead of a nice, crispy coating.  

(3)  put the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat  a non-stick skillet is fine, but if you use something that is NOT 

non-stick, you will get some really yummy "bits" to scrape up when you deglaze the pan with the wine, making your sauce even more rich).  When it's all melted, add the pork chops and cook on all sides till they're golden - even brown the edges to seal in the juices - about 4-5 minutes on each side.  

Resist the temptation to check them every two minutes - a crust is forming.  It's"carmelization", and if you lift them off the hot surface you'll break the process and then it's a complete gooey mess.  DON'T. TOUCH. IT.

Transfer the chops to a foil-lined baking pan and place in the oven.

(4)  Discard the fat from the pan and add the wine.  Scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon.  Increase the heat to medium and boil until the wine is reduced to about 2 Tbsp (about 3 minutes).  You'll notice that the wine with the scraped bits turns to a pretty honey color - like this:      

(5) Mix the three mustards together in a small bowl.  

(6)  Stir the half and half, chicken stock and mustard into the wine and boil until reduced to a saucy consistency - it should cover the back of a metal spoon well - maybe about 5 minutes.  Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.

(7)  By now your pork chops should have cooked in the oven for about 8-10 minutes.  Check the pork by slicing it in the center.  While you don't want running pink juices, pork that's a little pink is ok - it will continue to cook while it's sitting.  

Return the pork chops & their juices to the mustard mixture and turn them to coat in the pan. 

(8)  Remove the pork, slice into medallions and plate.  Drizzle a little (`1 Tbsp) of the mustard mixture over the sliced pork and put the rest in a dipping bowl. 

Puttin' Up Peas

HAPPY MONDAY!

Went down to the MT Laurel Farmer's Market on Saturday morning to collect my 3 bushels of peas and lima beans - shelled for me by Mrs Caver's grand daughters, thankfully (and I stress "thankfully" - what a task!).   When I got them home, I saw what seemed to be a daunting task in front of me, so I decided to watch a few episodes of French Cooking at Home with Laura Calder, and squeeze in a nap.  3 Gigantic bags of peas and beans!!  I mean, there were so many that I had to enlist the assistance of a cooler to store them until I could get started.  There was no other way - I needed to just jump in and get on it.

First things first ... I gathered all my supplies.  In my short time as a "food preserver", one thing I have learned is that this is probably the most important step.  Nothing like washing only four half-pint jars and needing six.  My tools for this task:  

(1) large boiling pot

(1) colander

(1) glass bowl (for an ice bath)

(1) strainer

Food-Saver

25 quart size Food-Saver bags 

This is really a simple process - although, it is kinda time consuming because it's best done in batches.  

DIRECTIONS:

(1)  Label your bags.  I have found, the hard way, that you want the writing to be done BEFORE you get your peas in there and "preserved" - nothing like trying to write on a bag of peas!

(2)  Bring to boil a large pot (I used my 8 qt Le Creuset Dutch Oven) of water - fill it up about 2/3 of the way; add about a tablespoon of salt (this is not a science). 

(3)  Add two quarts of peas to the boiling water.  Cover.  When the water comes back up to a boil, start your timer - you need about 90 seconds.  The idea here is not to "cook" the peas, but just to get them to the temperature to stop the activity of the enzymes (which will rot stored food) and kill the bacteria.   I used the boiling water pot for 3 or 4 rounds of peas.

Remove the peas to an ice bath with the strainer.   I like the colander-in-the-glass-bowl filled with ice, so you're not fishing out ice cubes all day long.   I also run my hands through the peas while they are under water to get them to cool quicker.  The ice bath activity will actually stop the cooking - yes, even when you take something away from the heat, it continues to cook (and lose the pretty bright coloring).  

Drain the water out very well (shake them in the colander).  This is super important because when you go to seal them with the Food-Saver, if there is any water still in there, the bags won't seal properly.

(4)  Once your peas are cooled, load them into your quart bags.  I used a 4c measuring cup to load the peas into the bags.  

(5)  Zip them up with the Food-Saver and get them into the freezer.

There you have it ... 1 quart of peas (I actually have 23 quarts of Lady Peas, Field Peas and Lima Beans after this weekend)!

HOW SIMPLE IS THAT? 

Beautiful Field Peas

Asparagus Spears Wrapped in Phyllo

I have no idea where this recipe came from, but it is a "standard" at my house and never seems to disappoint. This one is super simple and so tasty.  Last night, Casa Stone had a surprise guest and the Chef de Cuisine didn't feel like hitting the grocery store.  Hunting for ideas, I checked my options.  The freezer section of the SZ produced a box of phyllo!  The veggie bin produced a pretty bundle of asparagus.  And, there's always a hunk of parmesan cheese in my cheese drawer.  VOILA!  Asparagus Wrapped in Phyllo!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Bundle of Asparagus (use the regular ones or the bundle of small ones)

1/2 package of frozen phyllo dough, thawed (I cut the roll in half and put the rest back in the freezer)

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Fresh Ground Pepper

1 Sheet Parchment Paper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

(1)  Snap off one end of your asparagus; you can pretty much guarantee that the entire bundle will have the same snap point, so use this as a guide and cut the rest of the bunch at the same length.  If you are using the smaller asparagus, you will not need to cut them, they're pretty tender.

 (2) Unroll the 1/2 roll of the phyllo dough.  Cut that in half, so you have 2 8" (approx) sections of sheets.  You'll probably only use 1/2 of this, so get the others back in the plastic and in the freezer (read:  YIPPEE - you will have enough Phyllo for three more batches of this tasty treat - your neighbors will love you!) 

 (3)  2 ways to approach this next step:  (a)  Brush the top sheet LIGHTLY with the melted butter.  Literally, just dip your brush into the butter, don't drench it in butter or they won't crisp nicely when you bake them ("lessons learned" by Chris). or (b) Cover the whole stack with a damp towel and take only one sheet from the stack and lightly butter it. 

(4)  Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of parmesan over the buttered phyllo sheet.  If you are using the regular size asparagus, use two spears, if you're using the mini ones (which you won't have to snap), use 4 spears.  Put the asparagus at the short end of the buttered, cheesed phyllo sheet, put a couple of grinds of black pepper on top, and roll it up (cigar style).

(5)  Lay the phyllo-wrapped asparagus, seam side down on a parchment lined jelly-roll style cookie sheet.  Brush them with a little butter - again, not too much as you don't want them to get soggy.  Sprinkle a little more parm on top.

Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until they are golden and crispy.



(you might want to make that 2nd batch, afterall.  I can never seem to get one of these before they're all gone!)

So THAT's What you Did with the 24 Lbs of Tomatoes

Yep ... that's it!  I made Tomato-Basil Sauce.  Then I "canned" it.  I honestly do not know what has come over me.  All summer long, I have been DYING to preserve stuff.  It all stemmed from a trip to the Farmer's Market one April Saturday in Seaside, FL.  A lady was selling jams and preserves and other things, and I talked with her about preserving.  When I got home, it started.  For me, it was simple Strawberry Preserves (everybody should learn how to do this).  I shared them with a few gals in the neighborhood, and was pleasantly surprised with "emails of love" about my preserves.  Even suggestions that I hit the MT Laurel Farmer's Market with my own wares.   Then the thought came to mind to add a little thyme and maybe a little lavender to the recipe.  Soon, I was back in the kitchen with my second "canning" of the season and a batch of Strawberry Thyme Preserves and Strawberry-Lavender Preserves.  So, last week, when I saw the large box of tomatoes at Mrs Caver's stand, I decided to can my own Tomato-Basil Sauce.  The basic recipe is from a book I picked up at Whole Foods from Homemade Living, called Canning & Preserving -  I added a little more basil, a little more pepper, a little more garlic, stirred it with my finger (oh, I'm convinced that's the ticket to the good taste!).  Simple recipe, and really tasty.  If you're interested in preserving (canning, whatever you want to call it), I suggest picking up this book.  It's laid out very well and has some good recipes.

INGREDIENTS:

16 lbs tomatoes
4 cups chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
5 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons kosher salt
Lotsa ground black pepper (put it on the big grind)
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
12 tablespoons bottled lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

(1)  Slice an "X" on the base of your tomatoes - not too deep, just enough
to pierce the skin.  Next, prepare an ice bath (large metal bowl filled with ice and water; no special amount; the tomatoes are going to go in here to stop the cooking process after you "blanch" them to get the skins off).

 

Place the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for about 30-45 seconds.  When the skin looks like it's pulling away where you've made the "X", remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon into the ice bath.  The skins should just fall right off, but if not, peel the tomatoes.  Core the tomatoes - try to get as much of the white part out as you can (you can also do some of this when chopping them); this part is tough - not tasty.  Chop 'em up.  I just kinda quarter them then cut those quarters in half ... if they seem a bit big, take the knife to them a second time.

(2)  Place the chopped tomatoes in a stock pot - my favorite is a le Creuset oval dutch oven; this one is an 8qt. - let the tomatoes come to a boil and turn it down to a simmer.  Add the onion, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper.  Stir and let it cook for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking.







(3) While the sauce cooks, sterilize your mason jars, lids and rings (put the jars in your canner filled with water that has been brought to a boil and turned off; put the lids and rings in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil and turn it off & let them sit till you're ready to use them).  This recipe made 12 pints.






(4)  Use an immersion blender to get your sauce to a smooth consistency.  Don't worry if all the tomatoes aren't smooth - it's nice to have a chunk of tomato every now and then.  Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the chopped basil and balsamic vinegar.




(5)  Put your hot jars on a countertop covered with towels, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to each of the jars, then ladle the tomato sauce into each of the jars (use your canning funnel), leaving about 1/2" at the top of the jar.  Run a non-metal spatula around the top (most canning "kits" come with a little tool for this - use it.  It's basically just removing any air bubbles).






(6)  Wipe the edges of the glass jars to be sure they're clean of all the tomato sauce.  Place the lids on top and screw the rings on (not too tight, just finger-tip tight).





(7)  Put the jars in your canner, place the lid on, and boil for about 35 minutes.  Make sure you have enough water to cover the tops by 2"-3", and keep a hot kettle close by so you can add water if the water level gets too low.

(8)  Once your tomato sauce has "processed", take the jars out, and lay them on top of a kitchen towel, out of the way of drafts and anything that could move them.  Put a towel on top and let them sit.  After 24 hours, unscrew the screw rings and check to see if the lids are secure.  They should have been sucked onto the tops of the jars (I usually pick mine up by the lid if they're not too heavy - if they aren't secure, you will have to start the processing over with new lids and screw rings and newly sterilized jars.


Seems like a ton of work, but while the process is long, this is actually pretty simple.  Consult a canning book or the instructions that come in your canner - the directions here are pretty brief.

NOTE:  I had to do this in 2 batches.  You might cut the recipe in half or do the same, unless you are blessed with the biggest Le Creuset ever made!

This sauce is sure going to be tasty in February when all the tomatoes at the grocery store are hard and a funky color of red.  And, so, I probably ought to mention that everything in this batch of Tomato-Basil Sauce was grown within a short distance from  my home (the balsamic vinegar is the exception).  It feels so good to eat like that.

I will use this sauce as the base for spaghetti, maybe add some cooked mild and hot (2/3 mild, 1/3 hot) Italian Sausage (casings removed, chunked into pieces and sauteed in a skillet) combined with this sauce, and poured over some spaghetti.  I might use it in lasagna.  I might use it as the sauce over some handmade cheese ravioli (recipe coming soon).  The possibilities are endless!


WINE PAIRING:  Well, you have to start with a Prosecco (I'll find any excuse to drink bubbles).  As with all pastas in red sauce at my house, a yummy Italian red is in order.  This could get really complicated, so just go to your local wine purveyor and ask for a good Brunello (a Brunello di Montalcino is a full-bodied, intense wine; it will be dry and tannic - Get one that's at least 15y old).  If that doesn't do it for ya, there's always Chianti - no not the one with the basket bottle!  Chianti is very dry, medium-bodied, a little tannic with a tart "cherry" flavor.  Chianti Classico is usually the best (Try Ruffino with the gold label).  

The Farmer's Market

Every Saturday from June through mid-October, there is a farmer's market in the Town of MT Laurel, where I live.   Farmers come from as far as Chilton County (where all the best peaches EVER come from),  and as close as just 1 mile down the street - Jones Valley Urban Farms, which is on the site of the MT Laurel Organic Garden.  I feel pretty blessed to have this right around the corner from my house.  I can make a cup of coffee, take a stroll, or ride my cruiser 2 blocks and come home with fresh veggies for the week - Best part?  I don't have to get in the car.

This morning, I made a haul!  I bought a "basket of salsa" from one of the farmers, which has all the ingredients to make a fresh salsa (and a recipe - but I think I'll add a few more peppers to mine to spice it up a bit).  From another farmer, I bought sweet onions.  They're on the small side, so I am sure they will be just wonderful.  From Caver's Farms, I scored a handful of beautiful peaches for a cobbler, the most precious little yellow squash and some pink eyed peas, lady peas, lima beans and a sweet little speckled butter bean mix.  Can't wait to try those over some tomatoes this week.  And speaking of tomatoes,  Mrs. Caver also pulled a box of big red tomatoes for me.  I plan to make some marinara and can it tomorrow for use over the winter when I crave that fresh tomato taste.

Here's my bounty ...

If you haven't visited your local farmer's market, you should (if you live in AL, you can check this Farm Locator and go visit your local farmers).  There are always neat little surprises to be had - like this  wonderful basket of veggies for a fresh salsa!  

Not only that, but if everyone took advantage of what's grown locally, think about the possibilities ... for starters, we'd be supporting our local, small farmers.  Not to mention the fuel savings - Did you know that each food item in a typical US meal has traveled and average of 1500 miles?  I live in the south ... those asparagus I get at the grocery store in July probably aren't grown locally, and it takes fuel and energy to grow those things (fertilizing, processing, packaging, warehousing and transporting) - far more energy than we receive in calories from the food, itself.

 I've picked up a book called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver about a family who left their "industrial-food pipeline for a rural life, vowing that, for one year, they would buy food from their neighbors, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it."  In it, she describes her family's journey, shares examples and discusses the realization that if "every US citizen ate just one meal a week composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we'd reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil a week".  WOW.  Think of the possibilities ... and it can start by supporting your local farmers.

Hope everyone has a fine weekend.

~c

Heirloom Tomato Soup

Let's start with an easy one ... since you're looking at that picture up there!  I love to make this on a rainy saturday afternoon.  It kinda takes some time to get it all together, but it's SO worth it.  This is really tasty with a grilled cheese sandwich - however you like it ... butter-soaked toasted white bread and kraft slices, or the way I make them:  Airy Cibatta with a mixture of Gruyere and Fontina, cooked really slow in a skillet with the lid on!  Now, that, my friends, is some gooey, cheesy, goodness!!  Either way, this tomato soup will have you passing up the red and white can every time.

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs heirloom tomatoes; I throw in a handful of sweet 100s too - if you don't have access to heirlooms, stick to something like a big boy and plum tomato
1 large Vidalia onion sliced from end to end, not chopped (like rings, but in half); if you don't have access to Vidalias, pick up some sweet onions (like Peru)
olive oil
3 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed with the heel of your hand over a knife blade, flat
1 qt chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
Olive oil
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
S&P (I use Kosher Salt)

Directions:
(1)  Core and cut your tomatoes in chunks
(2)  In a roasting pan big enough, put the tomatoes, onions, garlic in a single layer, and drizzle with about 1/2c of olive oil.  Stir the mixture around a bit, just enough to coat the veggies.  Add salt & a few grinds of pepper

 (3) In a preheated oven (450 degrees), roast the tomatoes, onions and garlic for about :30, or until the onions start to caramelized.  I like my onions really smokey, so I let them get a bit brown.

(4)  Remove the roasted tomato mixture to a stockpot, and add the stock, butter, bay leaves and thyme.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about :15, or until the liquid has reduced by 1/3.

(5) Fish out the thyme sprigs (should be just little sticks by now) and the bay leaves.  Use an immersion blender and puree the soup till smooth.  If you choose to add cream, now is the time.  If not, you can add more stock to get the consistency you want.  Season with more salt & pepper, and add a garnish of chiffonaded basil, if you like.

Don't forget your grilled cheese - this one actually has some bacon in it!!


WINE PAIRING: Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay (stay away from red, too tannic and the tomatoes are acidic enough).  This would also be good with a really big glass of milk.