Confession time: I used to loathe Brussels Sprouts. When I was growing up, I even made up a story to explain the Brussels Sprout. It was, I told myself, a vegetable forced on wartime Europe. I reasoned this lowly member of the cabbage family…
David Tanis I wasn’t familiar with David Tanis at all until he started writing the City Kitchen column in Wednesday’s Dining Section in the Times. Clearly, I’d been missing a lot. While David’s recipes have often peaked my interest, this is the first one…
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the stir-fry is the savior of every harried home cook. When you have to get dinner on the table in as short a time as possible, a stir-fry’s hard to beat. It’s all a matter…
Sandra Lee with another plate of SemiHomemade food My friend Barbara gets practically apoplectic when she hears the name “Sandra Lee”. Whether this has anything to do with the “Semi Homemade” hostess’ debacle over something Ms. Lee called her “Kwanzaa Cake”, I am not…
The other day, when I opened a post from Bee at www.rasamalaysia.com, along with Bee’s recipe for Moo Goo Gai Pan came a flood of memories. It instantly took me back to my childhood in Montreal. Not that I ever ate Moo Goo Gai…
Sugar Snaps have joined the Asparagus at The Farmer’s Market You may wonder how much more asparagus I can possibly eat this asparagus season. The answer is I’ll eat as much as I can. I love the fresh flavor and texture that asparagus brings…
One of the great joys of cooking has to be the amazing things you learn when you use an ingredient that is new to you. In this case, our dear friend Richard arrived from Hong Kong recently and presented us with a sealed plastic…
Farmers Market Asparagus Spicy Pork with Asparagus and Chile West 66th Street and Broadway The Farmer’s Market in Richard Tucker Square We live in a very urban setting in New York and it comes as somewhat a surprise to visitors that there’s a thriving Farmers…
I have some good friends whose families are Filipino. And although for some time, my friend Ethel has threatened to kidnap me and take me to Queens for some Filipino restaurant food, we haven’t made it yet. Come to think of it,…
I remember a friend telling me that once she gave her husband a Wok for Christmas, it was pretty much Wok-around-the-clock from that point on. As I remember, he was one of the first men I knew who’d taken over the kitchen and cooked…
PRODUCT NEWS YOU CAN USE
Did you know that New York State is the second largest apple producer in the whole country? Only Washington State tops us. Trust a resourceful friend of ours, Wendy Brovetto, native New Yorker and grandchild of an Upstate New York Farm family, to create truly incredible Rustic Apple Jams in 4 extraordinary flavors. When she did, Croton Trading Co. was born.
Wendy explains ”We created our apple jam after one of those overzealous days of apple picking yielded a larger-than-usual haul. With more apples than any family could consume, the experimenting began and gave way to what we think is the perfect blend of apples and cinnamon.”
“We source our apples from local NY Orchards -- Thompson's Orchard in Westchester Co andl Richters Orchard on Long Island. I have a special fondness for these family-owned farms. Richters Orchard was a big part of my childhood, as my sisters and I would go on weekly outings with my dad to stock up on apples and cider"
"We carefully blend different apples to create our flavor profile and find inspiration from seasonal spices to create our Apple Jam”. Wendy proudly states.
Now Croton Trading Company is up to 4 flavors: Fall Harvest Blend, Ginger Pear Fusion, Chai, and Brown Sugar. You can see the whole range here:
Needless to say, we couldn’t wait to put Croton Trading Company’s Apple Jam to work making our Skillet Apple Pork Chops. This one-pot recipe is perfect for weeknights but so good you may want to serve to company. The chops finish cooking in Croton Trading’s Apple Jam and we always serve it on the side to give even more great apple taste to the dish. Here’s the recipe:
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (6-oz.) bone-in pork chops
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
½ cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1 cup Croton Trading Rustic Apple Jam (we used Ginger Pear)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 small red onion, thinly vertically sliced
Chopped Parsley for garnish.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork chops evenly with 3/8 teaspoon salt and 3/8 teaspoon pepper. Add pork chops to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until pork chops beautifully browned. Remove from pan. Set aside pan and drippings.
In a small bowl, combine stock and Croton Trading Apple Jam, stirring with a whisk. Set aside. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan with drippings, swirl. Add remaining 3/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 3/8 teaspoon pepper, sage, rosemary, and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in stock mixture. Return pork chops to pan; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Plate each chop individually. Top with chopped parsley as a garnish. Serve with plenty of Croton Trading Apple Jam on the side.
PONANT EXPLORES THE GLOBE WITH A DECIDEDLY FRENCH ACCENT.
