Life With….

I had been pleased to see more meats appearing in the butcher counter over the past few months which was nice given that North Carolina is a large producer of pork and poultry – and I knew, from visiting farmer’s markets that beef, chicken, goat, and poultry was being raised locally and humanely.  Having it at Whole Foods where I could pick it up that day  and not have to worry about cash makes life a lot more convenient.

I took my pork chops  with the bone in and marinated them in soy sauce with fresh ginger, garlic, mustard, and a dollop of honey mixed in.  I gave them about an hour and a half in this mix in the refrigerator.

I then took an acorn squash raised just outside the triangle, chopped it in half and scooped out its innards.   I turned the on to 450, and put 1 inch of water into a casserole pan.  I placed the acorn squash halves into the pan, with the meat facing out, and placed a dab of butter and some maple syrup into the hole left by the scooped out stringy seeds.  I placed them into the oven, and knowing it would take at least 45 minutes to an hour to cook I went and worked out for 30 minutes before returning to cook.

Purple Sweet Potatoes are grown as are all sweet potatoes locally, and I took two small ones and chopped them into horizontal slices.  I put them into a bowl where i had placed fresh rosemary, garlic, sea salt, and olive oil; I made sure the potato slices were coated in the mixture.  After this I lay the slices onto a cookie sheet and placed them into the oven where the squash was still cooking.  At this point there were about 15 minutes left for the squash.

I then placed the pork chops, the marinade and the cored apple onto a grill pan (though a electric press grill like a foreman works as well).

I cooked these on medium high until they were slightly pink, and about 160 degree Fahrenheit.

Once the squash was soft and the potato crispy I placed all onto plates and served.

The only thing missing was one of falls true treats – a baked apple filled with butter and honey or syrup (or brown sugar – which  I am always out of).

It was great to remember that local and seasonal food can provide fresher flavors and can look and taste like the season.