Here is what I had: a pork sirloin mini roast (1.17 lbs) that I sliced an inch or a bit under thick, apple chutney that I had made but forgotten to put out on New Year’s Day, chopped cabbage that I had forgotten to add to the sweet and sour beef soup I made for and served on New Year’s Day, and two sweet potatoes and a shallot that I had on hand.

The major ingredients

Here is the link to original recipe from which I was working:
Pork Chop Casserole Recipe with Sweet Potatoes

Obviously, I was not using chops, and this recipe calls for more than 1 lb or so of meat; also, it does not specify boned or bone-in. Given I had a smaller amount of meat, it worked out fine that I had only two small sweet potatoes, and I used about two cups of Apple Chutney (Click HERE for the recipe – it is buried in the pulled pork recipe but it is worth deciphering it out, so to speak) to replace the OJ, brown sugar, and spices.

I also did everything in an ovenproof skillet.  Note to self: Do Not forget to use a pot holder when taking the skillet out of the oven…)

Anyway, I started by lightly browning the pork in a bit of olive oil to help seal in moisture in the pork and to give a nice flavor base for the rest of the ingredients.

In the middle of browning the pork

After removing the pork and setting it aside, I added a bit more olive oil and lightly sauteed thinly sliced shallot and a few stems of fresh thyme until the shallot was soft and the thyme quite fragrant.

getting stated with the shallot and fresh thyme

I then removed the shallot and thyme, added yet a bit more olive oil, and put the onion (one medium, sliced) in the pan.

Next, the onions

Once the onion was starting to get soft, I added about 3 cups of chopped savoy cabbage. (I am sure any type of cabbage would do – in fact, the red kind would make for a REALLY colorful dish!)

Then, add the cabbage to the onions

Once the cabbage cooked down a bit (after maybe 5 minutes or so), I stirred in the sliced sweet potato and the pork, including the juices, and then arranged the shallot and thyme on top. Finally, I put the lid on the pan, and into the oven preheated to 350 degrees it went.

Ready for the oven!

sensual close-up shot

After 50 minutes, the potatoes were just tender and the meat was still moist, so I put the pan with the cover on it back in the oven on the “keep warm” setting (170 dgrees) since we were not quite ready to eat. If I had wanted to serve sooner, I probably would have put it back in at the 350 degrees for another 5-10 minutes.

Finished!

If I had had more sweet potatoes on hand, or a few white potatoes to add to the mix, this could very well have been a one-dish meal.  Or, I could have added some extra liquid and rice, or cooked rice separately and serve the pork and veggies over it. But, since it was a cold and stormy night, I thought soba noodles, made from the hearty buckwheat (often cited as good food for cold weather) would be the perfect match.  And, it was!

on a bed of soba noodles

This turned out to be quite tasty.  Upon reading the reviews of the original recipe, I think that it would fine as written, but both the original and my version would benefit from the sauce being thickened a bit, perhaps with cornstarch, and, in my version, I think a little more sweetness to counter the tart chutney would be nice.  But overall, I think the dish works well as written, as adapted by me, and as a base for further adaptations.  One note about the soba noodles:  They do not expand as much as regular pasta, so you may not have as much leftover as you would have thought.

leftovers!

If you don’t care to eat meat, this recipe can easily be adapted to suit a vegetarian diet.  If you want a concentrated protein source to serve as does the pork, then I  think tempeh would work wonderfully with this recipe. Tofu and seitan may work, also, albeit the textures of tofu and the usual tamari-based flavor of seitan would give a  different slant. This recipe could also inspire the creation of a rice, sweet potato, and cabbage (or other vegetable) casserole. Or, add edamame to replace the pork and still serve over the soba.

So, that’s it for now.  I really need to get back to blogging here on a more regular basis.  I have drafts and photos of various dishes and meals that I hope to document on this blog one of these days, but one the one ingredient I seem to always be low on is time, something for which thyme is no substitute…  <grin>

Husk cherries as packaged by Farmer Dave. This container is missing some.

I thought they were tiny tomatillos at first, but upon looking even more confused when told they were husk cherries, I was given one to try.  They are exquisite!  Actually, I am not even going to bother trying to describe them because, when searching the Internet to learn more about this tasty little fruit, I found a wonderful description – ode, almost – to the husk cherry on a blog.  Click the quoted text to go to the original blog post.

“Husk cherries stole my heart this summer. They rustle in your hand, weighing nothing and smelling of dust. It seems impossible that inside each paper lantern can hide one single golden berry. They’re the humble Cinderella of the farmer’s market, for sure.”

Here is another shot, this with a ruler to show size.

I forgot to take a picture of a cherry without the husk, but you can find picture on the Internet, or better yet, get some to see and try for yourself!

For those of you reading who don’t know me personally, I am experiencing my first year of being the Manager of the Wakefield Farmers Market in Wakefield MA, which is currently in its third season.  And, I am loving it!  (A shout out thank you to Kelli Stromski and Maura Racamato who co-managed the first two seasons and are responsible for its ongoing success!)

Anyway, all the vendors to which I refer are at our market, in case you are wondering who I am talking about!

I had corn from Kelly’s Farm, garlic and onion from Farmer Dave, tomatoes from Charlton Orchards and Farmer Dave, green onion and squash blossoms from Flats Mentor Farm, haddock from Globe Fish, basil from my garden, my own homemade chicken broth, and even the lime juice was from the market in that I used the lime leftover from Holly’s (sweetthingfood.com) cooking demo the day before!

Close up shot of the green onion and garlic.

What got me going on chowder is that, while we enjoyed the flavor immensely of our experience doing haddock on the grill wrapped in foil, we were not thrilled with the texture since, we decided after the meal, we do prefer at least a bit of crunch with our fish. J  No reflection on the quality of the fish itself, by the way! You can’t beat Globe Fish for freshness, that’s for sure.

Anyway – what to do with the leftover fish?  Aha, chowder came to mind, although I knew it could not be a true fish chowder since the fish was already cooked.  I had saved the liquid that was in the foil, but knew it could not carry the fish flavor enough to be the highlight. That is why I say “with haddock” in the recipe title.  If I cooked the fish from raw in the chowder rather than adding it at the end, it would have been Fish Chowder with Corn, Tomato, and Basil. But, it wasn’t. <grin>

Since I was looking for a way to use a number of ingredients, I did my usual trick of typing in the list of ingredients I had available into Google and, voila!  The perfect solution!

All but the basil, fish, and squash blossoms!

I used a recipe from the New York Time site for Corn, Tomato and Basil Chowder as my basis. I did make some changes, albeit most of them minor, and I am 100% certain that the recipe as written is scrumptious. But, here is what I did:

Corn, Tomato, and Basil Chowder with Haddock

• 4 medium ears corn, shucked  (produced 4 cups of kernels)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil  (well, I actually used the chicken fat that had settled at the top of my chicken stock and a bit of olive oil, but just olive oil or unsalted butter would be fine.)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Three green onions, white and light green parts, chopped. (The original recipe calls for shallot but I didn’t have any.)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (well, one of Farmer Dave’s, but those suckers are huge!)
• 3/4 cups chicken broth and 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt ( use less of regular salt – maybe one tsp)
• 1 pound red potato (any waxy sort work best – red or Yukon) chopped to 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 pint measure or so of chopped, very ripe tomatoes. (original recipe calls for a pint of cherry tomatoes halved)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 cups chowder-sized chunks of leftover cooked haddock and 1/8 cup or so liquid leftover from cooking.  (liquid not necessary!)
• Garnish: a few fresh basil leaves and a squash blossom (optional)

That's a very packed 1/4 cup of basil!

1. Slice corn kernels off cob and place in a bowl. Run back of a knife along each cob to remove additional corn pulp. Add pulp to bowl; reserve cobs.

2. In a medium soup pot or Dutch oven, fat, butter, or oil over medium heat. Stir in onion, green onion or shallot and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add broth, reserved cobs, water, and 1 teaspoon salt to pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add potatoes and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Remove cobs and discard.

corn cobs add so much flavor to any stock or soup!

4. Stir in corn kernels and pulp, tomatoes, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes more. Stir in the basil and lime juice. Turn off heat and let soup cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

And, to top it off, I added a few drops of hot sauce, just for fun, but it is not at all necessary.

all done and ready to serve and garnish!

While the recipe from which I was working didn’t state anything about freezing, I came across a number of similar recipes that noted that this sort of chowder freezes well. I know how I am going to enjoy a fresh corn taste this winter, whether I make it with or without the fish!  Now, if only I could find a way to preserve the delicate flavor and subtle crunch of squash blossoms. I wonder if they can be frozen as one does with basil leaves?  I might just try that next. 

garnished with basil leaves and a squash blossom. Heavenly.

Well, I punted and first looked for a way to quickly make grilled chicken really flavorful and came across this incredibly simple but totally delicious rub:

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken Rub

The recipe calls for equal amounts chili powder, brown sugar, dried oregano, and olive oil, in this case, 1 Tablespoon each – and I added another tablespoon of olive oil to make it easier to spread around.

Rubbed and ready to grill!

So – THAT took care of the chicken, but what else to serve?  Time to do a search for “grilled sweet potatoes” on the Internet, via which I found lots of options.  Rather than create more work for Steve by asking him to deal with multiple slices of sweet potatoes on the grill, I opted for a recipe that combined cubed sweet potato and seasonings in a foil pack that could go on the grill with little supervision.

I honestly don’t remember exactly what I did, but it involved  3-4 modestly-sized sweet potatoes cut into 1” or so cubes, a few pats of butter, a drizzle or two of olive oil, a few turns of the pepper mill, a pinch of salt, and a healthy sprinkling of brown sugar.  I liked the idea of using brown sugar since it was also an ingredient in the chicken rub. And, so easy to just wrap it all up in a sheet of heavy foil and toss on the grill! Of course, this could easily be roasted in the oven or, with a bit of added liquid, cooked stovetop, as well.

For the cabbage, I decided to use a recipe that I had made with great success a few weeks before – with the original version using green beans with the cabbage:

Green Beans and Cabbage with Coriander Butter   You can see how I prepared this veggie dish in my post of May 15, 2011

This time, I didn’t have green beans on hand but figured that carrots would work since their sweetness would also benefit from the coriander in the recipe as well as compliment the sweetness from the brown sugar in the chicken rub and sweet potato dish. So, I improvised:

Green Beans and Carrots with Coriander Butter

4 tablespoons butter
3 cups chopped cabbage
1 -2 cups julienned carrots
1 teaspoon ground coriander

Into the Frying Pan….

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until butter just begins to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and add cabbage and green beans; toss to coat with butter. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon ground coriander and toss well. Return to stove and cook over low heat.

So, there you have it. A totally amazing meal with lovely flavors that totally complimented one another.  Steve and I were in heaven during this meal of grilled chicken breast with a sweet and spicy rub, sweet potatoes roasted with brown sugar, and a cabbage and carrot sauté.  Unbelievably delicious!!!!  And I still can’t believe I made an entire meal with NO garlic and NO onions (or scallions or shallots, etc.) But, I am sure all three dishes would taste great with onion and or garlic added. Indeed, I have in my notes that I was planning on adding garlic to at least the veggie sauté…. Maybe next time. 

Note to those Wary of Cabbage:  I have served both red and green cabbage a lot this past winter and spring with Steve and I discovering, to our surprise, how much we REALLY like cabbage and leading Steve to comment: “Cabbage really gets a bum rap…”  Needless to say, cabbage, with or without a complimentary vegetable, is superb when combined with butter and coriander!

Another Note:  I just realized that this meal was based on fall vegetables and flavors but worked just fine on a hot summer night.  Perhaps the chili powder brought it all together in a way that smoothed over that juxtaposition.  Although, now we know what veggies to use on that first day warm enough for grilling but before the summer veggies are in.

Once again, I forget to take a picture of the plated meal. Here are the leftovers.

Luckily, hams freeze just fine and Steve and I like ham, so having two hams in the freezer was not a tragedy.  We hardly eat cold cuts and buy only uncured bacon and hotdogs, so ham is our big sodium nitrite splurge.  <grin>

ANYWAY – except for using grated ginger and some white sugar in water in lieu of the called-for gingerale in my 1950s retro ham recipe, the ham is the same as what I did for Easter, just a different brand and not as big.  But, here is a picture of me with the Easter ham:

But hey!, Hey!  What about the potatoes and veggies in the title of this blog?  Okay, okay…

The jury is still out as I write this as to whether Steve will like the potatoes, but, I like them! And, they have not even finished getting browned/crunchy yet.

To prepare, I peeled two mid-sized Idahos and cut them into 2 inch or so chunks.  I also peeled and more thinly sliced a white sweet potato just to jazz things up.  I coated them with a mixture of high-test olive oil (from the fresh pressed olive oil club to which I belong) and some truffle-infused olive oil my friend Linda Ireland gave to me.  I am liking the truffle oil.  [Linda, we’ll have to make something with it sometime and see if you like it in a dish.]

I then mixed together some nutmeg (freshly grated), cinnamon, coriander, fennel pollen, and freshly ground black pepper – tads and pinches of each.  I then added about a teaspoon of kosher salt to the mix and sprinkled it onto the potatoes, mixing it all to coat evenly.

Helpful hint – use a rubber or silicon spatula to mix.  The spatula scrapes the oil from the side of the bowl so more ends up on the potatoes.

I then put the potatoes in a pyrex baking dish and added maybe ½ cup chicken broth before covering with foil and cooking in the oven with the ham for about 45 minutes at 325.  Then I took the cover off and let the liquid cook off for about 20  minutes at 300 degrees, stirring halfway through.

As I write this, I have the ham resting and the potatoes keeping warm at 170 degrees.  Right before we eat, I am going to carve the ham, make sure the potatoes are now crisp on the outside, raising the temperature a bit if necessary, and cooking up the veggie dish.  Bet you forgot about the veggie dish. 

So, yesterday I noticed that I had green beans and cabbage in the veggie bin of my fridge.  As usual, I typed the ingredients into Google and came up with a gaggle (sorry, could not resist) of recipes using green beans and cabbage.  I opted for this simple fare but for the one spice used: ground coriander.

It has been so long since I have posted here that I am putting this up before I am done preparing the meal, but doesn’t this sound light and lovely?  I did a scaled down version, but here is the original recipe from which I was working:

Green Beans and Cabbage with Coriander Butter
This is not a casserole, but a stove top saute that is both unusual and good.

4 tablespoons butter
3 cups chopped cabbage
1 1/2 cups fresh cut green beans
1 teaspoon ground coriander

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until butter just begins to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and add cabbage and green beans; toss to coat with butter. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon ground coriander and toss well. Return to stove and cook over low heat, covered, 10 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Serves  6.

I used about 2 cups – firmly packed – of chopped cabbage and about 2 cups – loosely packed – of beans and will probably use 3 T of butter and a scant teaspoon of the coriander.
—————————————————————————————————–
I’ll hopefully remember to update here on the final results once I’ve made this recipe and completed the meal,  but do know that this veggie recipe is what inspired me to add coriander to the potatoes, thus giving me an opening to use my fennel pollen.  Not a lot of recipes call for fennel pollen but I really like it. And it goes wonderfully with coriander.

So – time for me to post this and go finish the dinner prep.  Hopefully, it will all be really good!

UPDATE: The potatoes were exquisitely delicious, and deemed excellent by Steve, also.  I think that having the white sweet potato mixed with the regular potato added to it, although, just the regular potato would have been lovely as well.

And, I had chopped and sauteed four smallish shallots in olive oil earlier in the day and put them in the fridge for later.  I added them into the green beans and  cabbage at the end.  And,  before the end, I added 1/2 cup chicken stock and cooked the beans and  cabbage another 10 or so minutes to soften the beans further before finishing and serving.  Overall, a most wonderful meal.

Click the recipe title to see the original recipe from which I started.
Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

Ingredients
An asterisk * means I made a change to or added an ingredient.

•    2 tablespoons butter
•    2 tablespoons flour (I used whole wheat flour)
•    1 1/2 cups milk via a 5 oz can of evaporated milk, 2 Tbsp of instant dry milk, and water to make 1 1/2 cups total.*
•    1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes (will use more next time!)*
•    Salt and pepper
•    1-2 tsp dried parsley *
•    2 tablespoon olive oil (for sauteing)*
•    2 medium onions, thinly sliced
•    1 cup chopped green bell pepper *
•    3/4 cup grated carrot *
•    1.25 lb of assorted potatoes, thinly sliced (I used what I had on hand)*
•    8 ounces/2 cups of cooked ham in about 1/2 inch chunks.*
•    1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese *

The main ingredients. I just love all the colors.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil a baking dish. In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium high heat.

I couldn't resist infusing some red pepper flakes in the butter. I should have used more and will try using 2-3 times the amount next time!

Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.

The butter and flour ready for the milk.

Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in milk. Return pan to heat and bring to a simmer while stirring. When sauce has thickened remove from heat, season with salt and pepper (and I added parsley, as well)  and set aside.

Thickened to the consistency of thin pancake batter.

In a skillet, cook onions in olive oil (or butter if using original recipe ingredients) until golden brown.

I sauteed the oinons until almost done to my liking before adding the chopped green pepper.  This is because I didn’t want the moisture from the pepper releasing into the oil before the oinions had a chance to start browning.  I cooked the mixture just a bit more, then stirred in the grated carrot and put it all aside until ready to assemble the dish.  I figured the pepper and carrot would have plenty of time to cook in the oven.

Spread one third (1/2 cup) of the white sauce in bottom of baking dish and top with half of the potatoes. Spread out half of the onion/veggie mix, ham, and one third (1/2 cup) of the cheese. Pour another third of the sauce  on that layer.  Add the other half of the onion/veggie mix, ham and top with the last 1/2 cup of sauce and remaining cheese.

All set to pop in the oven!

Bake for 45 – an hour minutes  until golden and bubbly. Then, have at it!

This was really, really tasty.  Again, I do think that the leftover ham, with its sweet and spicy flavor, added tremendously to the flavor.  But, I think adding the green pepper and carrot gave a flavor boost to this old favorite, as well.

There is, of course, no reason why this can’t be made with a chopped up ham steak or sliced ham. For some sweetness, use pineapple or apple juice in lieu of water if using evaporated or powered milk, or sprinkle some brown sugar, as well as some clove powder over each layer.

And, if you prefer a vegetarian, or even vegan version, this seasoning method will work for you, also.   And, vegetarian or not, ou can also add more potatoes or other vegetables. Just be be sure to cook more watery veggies  down before baking the final dish so as to not add too much moisture.

If you want a “meaty” texture in there, use soy or seitan (wheat gluten) based protein items that have a smoky/ham sort of flavor. Also – when I was eating a vegan diet, I had no problem making a nice roux/white sauce with soy or rice milk, etc.  I think I actually made it with just flour, oil, and water a few times.  (Hmm, I will have to try that to make sure my memory is correct!)

All-in-all, this is a tasty and pleasantly textured dish, whether you follow the traditional recipe I link to at the top,  try out my version or experiment with my additional suggestions.  In the end, it is indeed one of those comfort food dishes that every cook should have in their repertoire.  Except for my friend Kathleen who can no longer eat onions.  I have NO idea what to substitute for that!

http://foodalogue.com/2010/06/caramelized-red-cabbage-sweet-potato.html

How amazing is that?  Plus, it was terrific!  THANK YOU, JOAN NOVA!

Here is my version:

Ingredients
1/2 or so red cabbage chopped fine
one medium to large onion sliced thin
2-3 cloves garlic minced
olive oil
1/4 cup raisins (I used golden)
10 or so almonds, chopped
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/3 cup chicken broth to moisten
drizzle of balsamic vinegar
S+P
sweet potato sliced very thinly  longwise
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice – fresh squeezed if available

There's the cabbage

The original recipe called for shredded cabbage, but I figured just chopping it would do.  It came to between 4-5 cups chopped.

no "clean up in between" pretty shots this post.

I sauteed the onion and garlic first, then added the cabbage and the chicken broth as the cabbage cooked down. I actually took a video of the process but have not uploaded it yet.  Basically, I used about 2 Tbsp of olive oil and cooked the onions and garlic until pretty soft, added the cabbage and stirred until coated with the oil, and then added the chicken broth and cooked it down until tender.

After adding a few drizzles of balsamic vinegar and cooking a bit more, I added the raisins and chopped almonds.

I'll use more, next time. And again, not a pretty shot. But cooking gets messy. <grin>

Next, I peeled and then sliced the sweet potatoes.  The original recipe called for using an mandolin for slicing, but I don’t own one.  Instead, I used this handy tool I got from the Pampered Chef representative at the Wakefield UU Church Holiday Craft Fair:

Along with my super sharp Rada knife, I was able to create acceptably thin slices.

Next, I spayed a casserole pan with olive oil (I use a Misto) and spread half the sweet potato slices on the bottom. I then added the sauteed cabbage mix, added salt, pepper, and dried parsley, and then covered with the rest of the sweet potato slices and put in the oven with the ham and yukon potatoes at 325 to start. …  Well, I had a bit of forgetfulness, as you will see if you check out the video, but that is the basic procedure.

Click HERE for my first ever cooking video documenting my five hundred millionth cooking blooper.  <grin>

Turns out that 325 was a bit low for this dish – also, after 20 minutes uncovered I decided to cover and boost the heat since I was just then taking out the ham and yukon potatoes.  But, best guess – I would bake these at 375 covered for 30-45 minutes and then finish off uncovered for 10-15 minutes.  But I need to make this recipe again to be sure of timing. However, this was a spectacular taste combo.  As usual, I forgot to take a picture fresh out of the oven, but here is a shot of what was left after Steve and I had our first servings:

The sweet potato and cabbage dish, with the roasted yukons and a bit of ham in the background.

All in all, a most wonderful recipe!  Steve and I really enjoyed it, and it went really well with the  ham, too.  And again, a big thank you to Joan Nova of Foodalogue who came up with this recipe in the first place.  Never be afraid to try something new!

For one thing – no more spiral cut ham.  Why? Because, upon trying out a new thing or two on the Cook’s brand bone-in butt end ham (6.4 pounds) I recently picked up on sale, I am realizing that the spiral cut, while making serving easier, is not conducive to keeping all of the moisture and flavor in the meat.

I actually had a lot of fun with this ham.

Retro Ham!

Yes – those are pineapple rings.  So 50′s.    I did the crisscross scoring, poured a bit of gingerale over it, stuck a bunch of cloves in and added the pineapple slices, mixed about 1/4 cup brown sugar with the canned pineapple liquid and poured that over it all, and finished up with freshly grated nutmeg (1/4 tsp) along with some cinnamon (1 tsp) and ginger powder (1 scant tsp). I am guestimating on the measurements I used…Click HERE for the link to the original recipe from which I was working.

After 3 hours at 325 covered tightly with foil:

Just out of the oven!

Once removing from the oven, I lifted the rack and spooned the liquid in the pan over it and let it sit, loosely tented in the foil, for about 1/2 an hour or so before transferring to the carving board.

The artsy shot.

I should have take a picture of it after it was carved.  It looked as moist and tasty as it tasted.  I was afraid that I had overdone the spices, etc. but this was just wonderful.

I served it with roasted yukon gold potato chunks and an amazing sweet potato and red cabbage (!?) recipe that totally rocked.  Click HERE for that recipe. And, here is the regular potato recipe:

I cut the potatoes into approximately 2 inch chunks and started them  1 1/2 hours into the ham baking process so they would have 90 minutes at the 325 degrees.  Basically, I just cut potatoes into 2 inch chunks, toss with a bit of olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and salt, and add maybe 1/3 – 1/2 cup liquid (in this case, liquid from the ham that was already part-way cooked)  cover tightly and bake until soft. Then (optional) continue baking uncovered until more crisp on the outside.

Along with switching to this ham type and recipe, I am thinking I will also replace the baked mashed potatoes I have been serving on Easter with roasted potato chunks.  Always good to make a change before one gets too stuck in tradition. 

Green was the first word I used to describe the flavor of the first olive oil I received from the club, and that descriptive has worked for all subsequent olive oils I have received.  Very green and fresh.  Some even have a bit of a bite – something not usually associated with olive oil.  And each batch does have its unique taste.  And so far, they have all tasted just heavenly.

Here is the latest. The color is amazing. Never mind the flavor.

Mind you, I don’t cook with the hi-test!  Steve and I enjoy it predominantly as a dip for bread – sometimes with some red pepper flakes and/or freshly ground black pepper added to the oil.  I always add a bit of this wonderful olive oil to just cooked pasta, and also  use a splash of it when appropriate to finish off a soup, stew, or sauce after it is cooked. And, of course, when summer is with us, I use only the fresh pressed olive oil with the fresh mozzarella cheese and just picked tomatoes and basil.

Another view. Hard to really show the wonderful green color!

Yeah – I know it is an extravagance.  $360+ a year for a small amount of olive oil. But then again, there are expenses that other folks see as necessities for them that I would never consider, so I guess it is all relative. Whatever, it works for me! And, it may just be worth a try for you. 

One of the reasons I like to make my own sauce from canned or “frozen from my summer gardening” tomatoes is because I have control over the sodium level. I look for canned tomatoes with little or no sodium, 15-30 grams per ½ cup, versus the usual 200-300 mgs or so.

And, goodness knows I like to support charities, as does buying the Newman’s  Own™ brand, but Newman’s sauces, as tasty as they are, are all on the higher end of sodium levels, with an average of 600 mgs sodium per ½ cup.  I have often bought Classico ™  since it tastes pretty good and some flavors come in at350-450 mgs per ½ cup.

But, imagine my surprise when I discovered Pastene’s ™ Chateau Marina Sauce coming in at 190 mgs sodium per ½ cup, and my even greater surprised when I tasted it right out of the jar.  It is REALLY tasty!

I was totally surprised at how good this sauce tastes!

Bright is the word I would (well, did, I guess!) use to describe the flavor. That and fresh. I highly recommend it as is. But of course, I seldom leave jarred sauce well enough alone.  <grin>  And, what I discovered was a way to create an amazing, truly homemade, all-day simmered tasting sauce in under two hours. I will add that the sauce tasted so good from the beginning that I didn’t even bother to add additional dried or fresh herbs.

When at Farmland, I bought 2 sweet and 2 hot sausages, a bit over ¾ lb. ground sirloin, 6 medium fresh mushrooms, and two 24 oz. jars of the Pastene ™ Chateau Marina Sauce.

When I got home, I immediately sliced the sausage crosswise about an inch in thickness (4-5 slices per sausage) and also cut a big fresh red bell pepper into very thick slices.  I mixed in about 3 Tablespoons of EVO and popped it all into a 350 degree oven, uncovered, with the timer set to check them at 45 minutes.

Then I made some meatballs – just a very basic recipe – there are a million online.  I added chopped onion, dried oregano, marjoram, and thyme, an egg, breadcrumbs, and oatmeal to the ground beef.  I just realized that I did NOT add freshly ground black pepper!  That was probably a first.  I put that in just about everything!

Once the meatballs were formed, I set them aside in the fridge while put the jarred sauce in a pot and over a medium flame to get it up to heat. Then I chopped up an onion and a green bell pepper, sliced the mushrooms, minced a few cloves of garlic, and sautéed the lot in some olive oil until tender.  After putting the sautéed veggies in the sauce, I added a bit more olive oil to the frying pan and browned the meatballs.  That was a little messy and the meatballs did not stay round, but once in the sauce, the looks didn’t really matter.  J

Once the meatballs were well-browned, I added them to the sauce, and added the baked sausage and red pepper when that was nicely browned and sizzling a bit – 50 minutes, I think it was.  I did NOT add any of the remaining fat in either pans to the sauce.

I then let the sauce simmer on low for about 45 minutes. And that was that. It was scrumptious!!  I will still make my own sauce when I can get an hour or two earlier start, but this worked for me in a relative pinch.

When done, I tossed the pasta with fresh pressed olive oil and also complicated the meal with a wonderful multigrain flaxseed bread from Farmland and more of that fresh pressed olive oil. Sometimes, it doesn’t take hours and hours or a ton of money to create a little heaven on earth.

I forgot to take a picture until it was almost all gone.

[NOTE:  Next time I may bake or broil the meatballs if the timing works out. Although, I have seen recipes that say to just form the meatballs and pop them right into the sauce to simmer until done. If baked sausages is also used, perhaps there is no need to get the extra flavor from browning the meatballs and a step can be saved.]