Pork Chops with Cider - jump back in
An evening meal, some calming music, it's October and I need to get back into the kitchen
It's hard to get started on something if you've been away for a while. Both physically and mentally. This time my reasons seem more valid than normal, a mini sabbatical to France. A change in work circumstances that afforded the luxury of a break that I could only have dreamed of six months ago.
I find a calm place in the house. For now it's the kitchen table, the only company I have is the slow-rising dough of a dark bread. I put the Spotify daily mix on, the algorithm some how has worked its way into calming piano and it works. A tonic for my thoughts as I wonder how to beat the deadlock between my mind and the keyboard, and ultimately a post that will find its way into the world. Breaking procrastination, breaking fear, and the worry that this might not be worthy of entering people’s in-trays. What is the worst that could happen? The email is deleted and the words evaporate in a green frenzy worthy of a scene in The Matrix.
There is something about this time of year, I somehow start to breathe and feel grounded, the leaves turn and the trees start to rest. The hues of golden, red and auburn start to appear, a turning of the season and for that moment the rush of getting everything done for summer is over. It's time for hunkering down; putting another layer on before we go near the heating button.
It's a time for collecting the things we've put out into the world, a harvest so to speak. For me, it will be my memories of both blue and wet skies (Scotland), where my feet have taken me, along with my mind. Sadly my gardening has not been a success! I exclude the rhubarb and the apples. Definitely excluding the Sage and the Mint that is out of control, they seem to take care of themselves very well being neglected!
I feel we are moments away from wintering, where the traditions will begin to kick in. With me being away. It's been a good few weeks since we did the Morningside loop, a good 5-mile walk door to-door that takes in the mighty Waitrose, a Coffee, a fruit scone, the Oxfam bookshop, the newly re-housed independent Bruntsfield bookshop, my favourite Butchers and the whole food store.
I hit the butchers without a plan in mind, no queue so have to think on my feet. Meat of the week is pork chops, so that's dinner, and then what about the next night. Some frying steak that I'll bash into submission, thin strips with some mushrooms which will make a Stroganoff variant. Can't not get some Cumberland sausages, Beef cheeks too are also in stock, and then some mince. The latter pieces will end up in the freezer for when there's no time to get here, a moment of future convenience and an expensive shop for this trip.
I picked up some prunes, dried figs, dried cherries. Its time for the annual fruit soak, which aids with the five week lead in to a fruit cake. Something to accompany us through the dark days during December. I note that I'm a day or two before Mary as the BBC put up a full on fruit cake recipe as a way of getting ahead. I must be on the right track with something!
The afternoon is quiet and I'm left to potter in the kitchen, I doctor an Anna Jones Hummus recipe scaling it by half and avoid the roasting of the spices (I didn't have them in the spice drawer). We will have half pre-dinner and the other half tomorrow. Carrots as crudité, a few nuts with a glass of something.
I steal some of the softened onion for the pork chops onion gravy that I'll make with a cider and the stalks from the greens. The bottom end of a squash and a couple of baked potatoes chopped into wedges, they will roast whilst we catch up with the Hummus.
The boy comes home early from work and I feel behind, then breathe once more when I realise he's headed up stairs for a while. A post work shower and the teenage beauty routine. I was aiming for 6, not 5.15.
The ebb and flow of the kitchen starts to return, I know I've been home a week but it's been full on since I got back. The precious hours on a quiet Saturday afternoon and I feel grounded. I start to put some words down and feed the creativity monster that's been building…..I jump back in.
Pork Chops with Cider
Ingredients as a guide rather than a dictate:
3 pork chops
2 bake potatoes
½ butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed
olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
Greens, stalks separated (kept) from the leaves
1 apple (optional garnish)
½ tbsp flour
½ tin of cider (200ml)
Method:
An hour or so before eating.
Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, place to one side and bring to room temperature.
Scrub the baking potatoes and chop in half length ways then each half into quarter wedges. I place in a bowl, splash with a glug of oil, salt and pepper. Turning the wedges over to coat with the oil. Add to a roasting tin.
Chop the squash into similar-sized wedges, toss in oil and add to a roasting pan.
Roast the veggies in the oven for 55 minutes or so at 190C. This the backbone timing for the meal.
Prepare the onion and the greens and in the pan that will ultimately house the chops soften the onion and the green stalks with a glug of olive oil and a medium heat, 5-10 minutes. Removing once done to a plate.
Shred the greens and put to one side.
Chop the apple into four, remove the core, half each quarter. Add to the pan, browning on each side, a minute so. Then remove for later.
15 mins before the roast veg is ready start the pork chops by bringing the pan upto a high heat. Then add the chops, cooking each side until golden. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove the chops to a plate and keep warm
Whilst this is happening, steam the greens, or add them to the cider gravy in the next step and give a few minutes to cook.
Introduce the onions and the greens back to the pan with a sprinkle of flour. Then add the cider and bring to a simmer, the sauce/gravy will thicken.
Plate up the veggies, a Pork chop, couple slices of apple and the gravy.
That does look really good. Nice to see a post from you again!