Here Figgy Piggy!!

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Figgy PiggyMy niece Colleen is an amazing woman. Not too long ago over coffee she shared an insight with me about gift giving. “Most people appreciate an experience rather than a thing.” She’s right.  I remember most easily and warmly those times that I have received dinners, cocktails, gift certificates to the theater and the like from my family and friends.  So when a long time friend of mine recently reached 50 I decided to help her commemorate with a feast from my kitchen!  I call it Figgy Piggy.

In my back yard I have a fig tree that I know to be about 50 years old.  My father’s aunt planted it and it still bears the most luscious figs twice a year.  This last week the first of the summer crop came in full force.  I picked as many as I could and invited friends over to help take away the plethora.My Figs I like the ones that have almost dried on the tree.  They have that rich chewy texture with a mature fruit sweetness.  My dogs even like them.  Whatever falls on the ground is fair game to them. One summer I reduced a pan of them and made Burnt Fig Ice Cream.  A double yum and 20 minutes on the Ms. Right workout scale.

Something new this time I thought.  What goes good with figs I asked?  Pork, I answered. Pork chops to be precise.  Here is my recipe for Figgy Piggy.

 

Figgy Piggy

Mix in a bowl

2               Figs, ripe
1/4 c         Walnuts, toasted , chopped
4 oz           Feta cheese
dash          Apple Cider vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste

Prepare the following by inserting a knife  into the side and cutting a pocket

2               Pork chops, 6 – 7 oz each

Stuff each pork chop with the fig mixture.  Close the openings with toothpicks.  Season the outside with salt and pepper. Place a light coat of olive oil on one side of each chop Using a saute pan that can go into the oven add:

2 oz          Olive oil

Set oven temp to 350 F.  Place saute pan with olive oil over high heat.  When oil starts to shimmer place both chops in the pan oil side down.  Brown for about 3 minutes then turn over.  Place pan into oven for about 20 minutes.  Check with a fork for doneness. (Honest to goodness – Doneness- is a culinary term.)

Serve with a teaspoon of Pepper Jelly on top!

Figs & Ice CreamI served it with strings of fresh zucchini and yellow squash from my garden saute’d in butter with salt pepper and a deglaze of white wine.  For dessert we had Vanilla Ice Cream, fresh Figs and Maple Syrup

It was a good meal and a great experience.  At least that’s what she told me.

 

Eat Well and Smile Often!!

 

tj

 

p.s.  Maple syrup and figs? – The bomb!!

 

 

3 Little Words . . . Nobody Wants To Hear!!

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I have an friend Melani Robinson who writes a blog 1 Year of Online Dating at 50. She’s an amazing writer and has done much to encourage me with regards to my blog. Melani is openly in search of her next great love, blogging about every up and down she experiences, waiting to hear those 3 little words.

Blossom End Rot. No, these are NOT the words that Melani wants to hear. In fact, nobody wants to hear them. Certainly not me with all the love I’ve put in to my garden. But yesterday they rang in my ear like a bell that can’t be unrung. “I’m sorry to tell you Tom, you have Blossom End Rot.” Thank goodness it was my advice gardener and not any other professional. Blossom End Rot. Really??

Blossom End Rot

It seems I have been taking too good a care of my plants in one respect and not in another. Here, you tell me, don’t my plants look healthy? They look great! In fact that is one of the symptoms. It seems that my plants are overcharged with nitrogen, the stuff that makes them leafy green. But they are sorely lacking in calcium and water. Who knew? Not me. So my first little pushes of fruit have Blossom End Rot. Shucks.

 

7/1/12 Garden

Luckily I caught them in time and began watering heavily; giving them a really good drink then following up daily with a regular soaking. This may seem contrary to the gardener who says, “Once the tomatoes come cut back on your watering.” I did and I got . . . Blossom End Rot. Also I need to up my soil calcium levels. Since I don’t eat a dozen eggs everyday, eggshells are a great source of calcium, I’m off the the garden supply to pick up a small bag. I am saddened because my first few peppers were destined to become Pepper Jelly. My Jalapenos are doing great and I will harvest this week and set them to dry but it will be another few weeks before I’ll have peppers again.

Patience and learning, isn’t that what parenthood is all about? (I feel like such a failure.)

 

Eat Well and Smile Often,

 

tj

 

p.s. Really??

The Perfect Food?? – Twice Baked Potatoes!!

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Twiced Baked PotoatoMy mother, rest her soul, was a lovely, giving woman generous with her time, love and affection.  She could burn water.  Did it! Saw her!  Boiled that pan dry.

I remember one holiday dinner  as a young man when I offered to help in the kitchen. She asked me to please cook the green beans.  Of course, says I and troddled off to the freezer I did. Fresh and local were not watchwords of the 70’s.  A box of frozen green beans in hand, I prepared a pan of boiling water and placed the frozen brick gently amongst the bubbles. After a few minutes the block had thawed and the green beans were heated through and through.  “Mom, I think the green beans are done.” Their pale green pallor being a dead giveaway. “Let’s give them a few more minutes just to be sure.” came the loving, generous reply.  My career path was set that day – Learn to cook – by people who know how to cook.

Now please don’t think of me as an uncharitable son. I loved my mother mightily and miss her to this day.  I have a great many reasons to thank her and my father.  One of those reasons is Twice Baked Potatoes!!

As a family we would often have regular baked potatoes.  They were easy for mom to make, just through them in the oven for and hour and put some margarine, salt and pepper on the table.  Feeding five rambunctious little monsters was no mean feat but my mother pulled it off every night.  One night in particular I noticed that the baked potatoes looked a little different.   As soon as the blessing was said I tucked right in and was pleasantly surprised.  If mothers receive validation for the efforts in the kitchen, from the praise of the family, my mother got free parking for a year that night. “Twice baked potatoes, Tom, that’s what they are.”  Yummmitty, yum yum.  All filled with cheese and bacon bits and  . . .  YUM!!

In honor and memory of my loving mother I share with you my approach at:

Twice Baked Potatoes

2  each       Large Russet Potatoes, bake at 350F for 1 hour

1/2 cup      Small Onion, diced and tossed into a saute’ pan with a little olive oil
3  each      Cloves of Garlic, smashed and minced – toss into saute’ with onions
1/2 cup      Diced Prosciutto – toss into saute’
1/4 cup      Dried Figs, diced – toss into saute’

Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes then deglaze with

1/2 cup     Dry white wine

Reduce about 1 minute then add

1/2 cup      Sour Cream

Grate and add

1/2 cup      Manchego cheese – add to mix
1/4 cup      Parmesan cheese – add to mix

Cook for 1 minute then remove from heat

Salt and pepper as desired

When potatoes are done baking remove from oven and set a side to cool.  When cool split open tops and remove the flesh into a bowl. Reserve the skins intact. Add the contents of the saute’ pan to bowl and mix.  Spoon mixture into reserved potato skins and bake at 350 until brown on top – about 15 minutes.

Serve hot!!

Eat well and Smile Often,

tj

 

p.s. I believe that was the night I uttered those now infamous words, “Food is my habitat!”

p.p.s. Well it is!!

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Pepper Jelly!!

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Golden Pepper JellyI love me some pepper jelly.

One of the very best things about having your own backyard garden is the overabundance of fresh produce.  When those little plant guys start to pop they just go crazy. Even last year with low yields it was bucket after bucket of – small – but tremendously flavorful produce. I had tomatoes galore, some eggplant, more than a few spaghetti squash and peppers, lot of peppers.  There were green bells and red bells and yellow bells and many, many, many of those spicy little serranos. (I actually took a bite out of a fresh one, right off the vine. One word: Tears!)

These were not tears of pain, but ones of joy . . . and pride, of a parental nature.  My life has been one lived in the pursuit of wanderlust.  I have enjoyed many careers, traveled to distant lands doing many things.  My experiences range from mushing sled dogs in the Yukon to spending 10 weeks cooking on Easter Island to traveling Europe by – very small – car with my best friend.  I’ve worked with amazing people from around the world and have learned that I only need enough for food, shelter and a pint at the pub with friends.  One joy and adventure I have not had is in becoming a parent.  I see many of my old high school classmates sharing stories of amazing children, many of whom are now graduating from college. Wow!! I’m not that old!!

While I have chosen not to have children I still recognize that desire to protect, to nurture and to share with the world the pride I have in my offspring.  So I garden. And when the garden bears fruit . . . I can.  Yes I can. That is to say, I preserve.

Cans!

I take my little pride and joys and stuff them into jars.  All boiled and pickled and put up when they are just right and ripe. I slap a label on them, show them off to my friends and enjoy their goodness into the cold winter months of my old age.  Such good thoughtful children they are.  Never forgetting a birthday or Father’s Day.  Always there when I need a little pick me up, never complaining and always at their best.  Hmmm . . .

Pepper Jelly

4 yellow, orange or red bell peppers, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
5  large red serrano peppers, seeded, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1  cup cider vinegar
1  pkg. SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin
5  cups sugar, measured into separate bowl (See tip below.)

In a large pot place canning cars, opening up and lids and cover completely with water.  Jars must be full of water. Place on stove over medium heat and bring to a slow boil. Boil for about a minute then turn off heat leaving jars in the hot water.

Place all the peppers in a blender with 1/2 of the cider vinegar and blend to a rough puree.  Pour peppers in to a 6 – 8 qt spot, add , pectin and remaining vinegar and bring to a slow boil then add sugar. Return to a boil and skim foam as needed.   Cook for  5 minutes then reduce heat to a slow simmer.Turn off heat when starting to fill jars.

Turn off heat to jars and lids but leave them in the hot water.  Dip a clean ladle in the hot water and let sit for 30 seconds.  Remove one jar at a time from the water and place on a baking sheet on the counter.  With the clean sanitized ladle, scoop the very hot pepper jelly into the very hot jar to within 1/2″ of the lip of the jar.  Remove a lid from the boiling water with tongs and seal the jar immediately.  Repeat until all the jelly is put up.

Eat Well and Smile Often!!

tj

p.s. My hat is off to all the parents out there who have given so much of themselves tot he lives of their children.  And to my old friends, I invite you over for some freshly roasted coffee, a slice of freshly baked bread smeared with Golden Pepper Jelly in my garden.  And if you stay long enough I’ll break out the whiskey and you can tell me the real story about parenting!!