mustard and herb-crusted pork loin

yields: 12 servings

the ingredients:

1 pack herb mix (i used the holiday one, which was a mix of rosemary, tarragon, and thyme.)

1 3 oz. jar whole grain mustard

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. kosher salt

a bunch of freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 lbs. boneless pork loin

the method:

throw the herbs (stems and all) into a food processor, and pulse until coarse. add the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil (and pork obviously), and drizzle the olive oil through the top spout. pulse until chunky. toss the pork and marinade in a large ziploc (or two if necessary), and allow to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours.

when you’re ready to cook the pork, preheat the oven to 350, and brown the meat in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil. bake it for an hour or more (until a meat thermometer reads 160). allow the pork to rest for at least 20 minutes if not longer. slice, and serve with roasted tomato jam (recipe below) or simply a drizzle of the pan drippings.

roasted tomato jam:

musings: the original recipe called for beefsteak tomatoes (and two cups of sugar), but i had frozen about ten pounds of cherry tomatoes from our garden at the end of the summer, so i wanted to use these. the cherry tomatoes we grew this summer were the sweetest i’ve ever tasted. knowing this, i cut back on the sugar that the original recipe called for. after tasting the jam initially, i thought it was too sweet, but i must admit that the saltiness of the pork and the sweetness of the jam ended up being a perfect balance. that being said, you might want to consider adjusting the sugar depending on  what kind of tomatoes you end up using.

the ingredients:

3 lbs. cherry tomatoes

a large pinch of kosher salt

1 lemon (zested and juiced)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds (lightly crushed)

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups sugar

the method:

combine all of the ingredients but the sugar in a dutch oven. then, sprinkle the sugar evenly over everything else.  put the lid on, and turn the heat to medium-low. cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally, and then cook for another hour (or maybe less), until the jam begins to gel.

jam adapted from a food52 recipe.

brown rice-stuffed peppers with spinach and parmesan

yields: 5-6 peppers

the ingredients:

6 peppers (assorted colors)

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

8 oz.  ground chicken breast

1/2 yellow onion

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup brown rice

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 28 oz. carton crushed san marzano tomatoes

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

a handful flat-leaf parsley

1 bag baby spinach

1/2 cup parmesan (plus more for sprinkling)

the method:

preheat the oven to 400.

slice the tops off the peppers, and remove the ribs and seeds. cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up (trying not to create any openings where the filling can leak out).

in a dutch oven over medium heat, add the olive oil. once the oil is hot, add the chicken, and cook until it begins to brown (don’t overcook as it will continue to cook in the oven). remove the meat, and add the onion as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. cook until translucent, about five minutes. add the tomatoes , parsley, red pepper flakes, a half of a teaspoon of salt and some more black pepper.

meanwhile, bring the chicken broth and rice to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. follow package instructions. once cooked, add the rice to the other ingredients along with the spinach and parmesan. taste to see if any further seasoning is required.

scoop the filling into the peppers, and place them back in the dutch oven. pour a splash more of the chicken broth in, and bake for 40 minutes with the lid on. remove the lid, and sprinkle some parmesan on each pepper. bake for another 15 minutes or so, until the cheese is golden. remove from the oven, and serve.

notes: you can serve the peppers on a separate serving platter, but i prefer as few pots and pans in the sink as possible. i also stored the remaining peppers in my fridge in the dutch oven. this way, when i reheated them, they were ready to go. i like these even more leftover than the first go ’round.

sweet potato and white bean dip

the ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato (12-14 oz.)

1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)

large pinch dried rosemary

1/4 tsp. dried ginger

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper (and perhaps a bit more salt to taste)

the method:

to make your life easier, cook the sweet potato in the microwave. poke holes all over it with a fork, and cook on high for about 12 minutes (or maybe a little longer depending on your microwave). the sweet potato should be tender all throughout, including the center (feel free to cut it open to be sure).

meanwhile, add everything else to the bowl of  a food processor. once the sweet potato is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, and add it to the rest of the ingredients. with the motor running, pour the olive oil through the top spout. pulse until well blended but not silky smooth. transfer to a serving bowl, and drizzle with a little more olive oil (i also sprinkled some flaky salt on top; i wouldn’t recommend this if you’re serving it with a salty chip). serve with something crunchy, and enjoy.

roasted brussels sprouts with balconville vinegar and hazelnuts

yields: 8-10 servings

the ingredients:

1 bag brussels sprouts

grapeseed oil (you can also use extra-virgin olive oil.)

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

balconville vinegar (available from solex fine foods)

1/3 cup crushed hazelnuts

the method:

preheat the oven to 400.

cut off the brown ends of the brussels sprouts, and pull off any loose outer leaves. on a rimmed baking sheet, toss them with the oil, salt and pepper. roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, shaking the pan from time to time to brown them evenly. transfer the sprouts to a serving platter, and drizzle the vinegar over them (they don’t all need to be coated). sprinkle the hazelnuts on top, and serve immediately or at room temperature.

risotto with sausage, cremini mushrooms and garlic chives

yields: 4-6 servings (or 3 hangry people)

the ingredients:

3/4 lb. pork sausage (removed from the casing)

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (plus a tsp. for the sausage)

1 lb. cremini mushrooms (cut into slices)

1 yellow onion

2 cups arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine

a bunch of chopped garlic chives (i picked these because they intrigued me, but you could also use a hearty herb, like sage or thyme.)

6-8 cups low-sodium chicken stock

1 cup grated parmigiano regianno (plus more for serving)

the method:

add a teaspoon of olive oil to a frying pan, and cook the sausage until just done. remove from the pan, leaving any drippings where they are, and add the mushrooms to the same pan. sprinkle with salt and pepper and a pinch of sage, and cook until tender. set aside.

melt the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan (a dutch oven is ideal) over medium heat. add the onion and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. cook until almost translucent, about five minutes, and throw in a generous pinch of the garlic chives. add the rice, and stir for a minute or so. add the wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until completely absorbed, another minute or so. add the broth one ladleful at a time, and stir until almost completely absorbed, adding more as needed. continue to do this until the rice is cooked but not mushy. season to taste with salt and pepper. turn the heat to low, and add the mushrooms, sausage and cheese. add a little more broth if the rice becomes too sticky.  garnish with some more cheese and garlic chives, and serve.

roasted eggplant and kale dip

yields: enough for 12 dippers

the ingredients:

a bunch of eggplants (i wish i could be more specific, but i had a nice crop from a meeting this week, and i roasted them all. if i had to guess, i would recommend using two medium to large eggplants.)

extra-virgin olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic (coarsely chopped)

1 bunch of kale (ribs removed)

1 lemon (zested)

1/2 cup parmesan

1/4 plus 2 tbsp. pine nuts (toasted)

the method:

preheat the oven to 400.

cut the eggplants in half, and rub all halves with olive oil. roast for 30 minutes, or until the flesh is soft enough to scoop out. once the eggplants come out of the oven, sprinkle them with a little bit of salt. make sure the eggplants have cooled before scooping out the flesh. since i used a mix of traditional, japanese, and fairytale eggplants, i left the skin on all but the traditional one. transfer the flesh and the other eggplants (whether one or multiple), to the food processor. pulse until chunky.

in a medium frying pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. add the garlic, and cook until aromatic. add the kale, and cook just until the color turns bright green, covering with a lid to help it steam. transfer the kale to the food processor along with the  lemon zest and parmesan. pulse a few times until blended. season to taste with salt and pepper. transfer to a bowl, and add a quarter cup of the pine nuts. stir until coated, and garnish with the remaining pine nuts. serve with toasted bread or something crunchy.

pecorino and herb-crusted pork chops

my interest in grilling has really developed this summer. i have little to no experience doing it but am determined to be quite nimble at it come labor day. despite the heat, last night was no exception. and this is what happened. ten juicy pork chops, all cooking at different temperatures and, therefore, ready at different times. i guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise when you grill on a grill that’s 15 years old and recently survived sandy. and grilling in 85% humidity is always a good idea. we collectively decided that it was too hot to eat outside, but why not cook meat over an open flame out there? they say the humidity is good for your skin and hair. i certainly had a glow. last night was worth the burn, however, as we were celebrating a special friend’s birthday, and he loves pork. there was just no way i couldn’t incorporate it into our meal. i had done so last year with my pork chops giambotta rossa, which were a big hit. the heat was equally excruciating last year, and similarly, we were confined to eat indoors. this, you would think, would have been the cooler option, except that i slow-cooked last year’s chops and had the oven on for about four hours that day, so i decided to avoid turning the oven on this year and grill outside. because the temperature of our grill is a challenge to manage, i initially thought i had burned all ten pounds of pork as i was searing the chops (see below for recommendations for indirect and direct grilling). because of this, i decided to slice the finished product. this also prevented people from being served their chops at completely different times. despite some firey obstacles, the chops were cooked perfectly, which is why i definitely encourage taking the below recommendations. you won’t be disappointed.

yields: 10 servings

the ingredients:

10 bone-in pork chops (1 1/2″ thick)

1 cup assorted fresh herbs (i used rosemary, thyme, mint, sage, and parsley.)

1 cup grated pecorino romano (parmesan would work as well.)

extra-virgin olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

the method:

preheat the grill to high on one side and medium-low on the other (give it a good 30 minutes before grilling).

generously brush each chop with olive oil, and salt and pepper both sides. dip each chop into the cheese and herb mixture. after all chops are coated, place them on the hottest part of the grill until all chops have a lovely sear on them. make sure this has been accomplished on both sides. once seared, relocate the chops to the cooler side of the grill. according to serious eats, the temperature you’re looking for is 135, which is just at the high end of medium-rare. this allows the final cooking to happen as the chops are resting off the grill, resulting in a rosy and juicy medium. once the chops have rested, you can choose to slice them or leave them as is. transfer them to a platter, and serve.

balsamic-grilled jersey tomatoes

yields: 10 servings

the ingredients:

5 juicy tomatoes (halved crosswise)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. dark brown sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. fresh thyme (plus more for garnish)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

the method:

preheat the grill to high on one side and medium-low on the other (give it a good 30 minutes before grilling).

in a small bowl, add the garlic, vinegar, sugar, salt, and thyme. gradually drizzle in the olive oil, whisking while doing so. brush the marinade over the tomatoes until thoroughly coated, and let them rest at room temperature (cut side down) for 15 minutes.

once the grill is hot, place the tomatoes (cut side down) on the hotter side of the grill, reserving the marinade, until slightly charred (a few minutes). flip the tomatoes, and relocate them to the cooler side of the grill. brush the marinade  over the tops. allow them to rest here until they begin to caramelize, another five minutes or more. remove from the tomatoes from the grill, and plate them cut side up. garnish each with a pinch of fresh thyme, and serve hot or at room temperature.

roasted sweet potatoes with orange-maple butter

the ingredients:

a dozen baby sweet potatoes

1/2 stick unsalted butter (at room temperature)

2 tbsp. maple syrup (i used bourbon maple syrup, but good ol’ maple syrup will work just fine.)

2 tsp. dark brown sugar

1 orange (zested)

kosher salt (to taste)

the method:

preheat the oven to 425, and arrange the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

bake the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes.

in the meantime, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl, and stir together. taste for what’s needed (a bigger pinch of salt, more syrup, etc.).

once the sweet potatoes are done, remove them from the oven, and make a slit in the center of each one. glob some of the butter in there, and allow it to melt. feel free to brush some on the skin as well. transfer to a serving platter, and enjoy!

candied ginger and blueberry risotto

yields: 4 servings

the ingredients:

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/4 cup crystallized ginger (chopped; plus more for garnish)

2 cups arborio rice

4 cups 2% milk

3 tbsp. honey

1 small container blueberries

the method:

in a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat.

in a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. add the ginger, and stir for a couple of minutes. add the rice, and stir until toasted (just another couple of minutes). gradually begin to add the milk a ladleful at a time, and stir until the milk is absorbed after each addition. once the milk is fully incorporated, add the blueberries and honey (i made the mistake of adding the blueberries at beginning, hence the blue risotto). transfer the risotto into four breakfast bowls. garnish each serving with a piece of candied ginger, and serve.