Hot or Cold Corn and Snap Pea Salad
The Comfort Family Farm Stand on Lumber Lane, Bridgehampton NY As much as I love sweet corn and as much as I’ll eat of it between now and the first frost, I am no fan of corn on the cob. I find…
The Comfort Family Farm Stand on Lumber Lane, Bridgehampton NY As much as I love sweet corn and as much as I’ll eat of it between now and the first frost, I am no fan of corn on the cob. I find…
I could eat our local asparagus until it was coming out of my ears. Thanks to growers in Mexico and Peru, asparagus is now a 12 month a year vegetable in New York and almost everywhere else. However, nothing but nothing comes close…
We have had a lot of Thanksgivings that weren’t at home. I’ve always volunteered to cook and love doing it. The first-ever Thanksgiving with my son Alex and his family was one I will never forget. It was my first West Coast Thanksgiving. I…
I’ve always gotten a kick out of stories of massive Zucchini crops suddenly emerging in August and causing their growers to wonder what on earth to do with all of them. When I was in Elementary School, I distinctly remember a classmate whose mother’s…
A bowl of chilled soup can really start a summer meal off right. Make enough of it, and anytime you want, there’s a bowl of cool comfort waiting in the fridge. As to today’s side, it’s a terrific way to have vegetables on hand…
Asparagus season is here and we can’t get enough of the stuff. I’ve already served it in last year’s spicy stir-fry with chiles. http://chewingthefat.us.com/2011/05/spicy-pork-with-asparagus-and-chile.htmld. And then as a dinner salad that makes a meatless meal http://chewingthefat.us.com/2011/05/spicy-pork-with-asparagus-and-chile.htmland then of course, there’s roasted asparagus which can be…
One night it’s a glorious side dish… The next day it’s a delicious lunch! With our local farm stands brimming with the most beautiful vegetables, it’s a fun challenge to find ways to eat them every chance we get. Last week I turned to…
I’ve already waxed poetic over Joe Beef, that phenomenal Montreal restaurant where we craved everything we ate. Almost everything we tried was truly over the top. And Andrew and I were not the least bit surprised to see that “The World According to Joe…
One of the great joys of cooking for me is finding flavor combinations that work together beautifully even though they come from completely different cooking traditions. That’s what this dinner does. It takes a wonderful Cajun dish from Bon Appetit full of shrimp and…
The great challenge of home cooking is finding ways to bring new life to everyday family favorites. At our house, this is a true mission since every meal is a candidate for this blog. We are constantly on the lookout for ways of…
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.
CULINARY CRUISING: RIVERSIDE RAVEL IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE