Tomorrow night I’m going to make the pork chop recipe below because I deserve a nice dinner. And it will use up a number of things from the box. I’m not sure what I will do with those cucumbers. I truly feel as if I am cucumber-ed up this year and I love cucumbers. I’ll probably share with my neighbors. The apples will keep, the okra will get pan-fried to go with the pork chops, and the peppers will go into the refrigerator to come out when I return. My husband is a huge fan of pimento cheese, he may get a big batch next week.
The recipe calls for kale, but I’m going to make this with what I think is our bunch of turnip greens. And substitute our big white sweet potato for the two medium ones called for here.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 4 boneless loin pork chops (about 1-inch thick, about 1 pound total) 2 medium sweet potatoes (9-10 ounces each), cut into 1/2-inch dice 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided 1/2 medium onion, cut thinly into half moons 1 medium apple, unpeeled, sliced into 1/4-inch thick wedges 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 4 cups, lightly packed, coarsely chopped kale leaves (1 small bunch)
Preparation:
Place the fennel seeds and black peppercorns into a small sealable plastic bag, then use a mallet or rolling pin to hammer the seeds until they are coarsely ground. (Alternatively you can pulse them briefly in a spice or coffee grinder.) Season the pork on both sides with fennel and pepper and sprinkle both sides with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large high-sided skillet (one that has a lid) over a medium heat. Add the potatoes to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are fork tender, 10 minutes. Season them with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt then transfer them to a plate.
Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the skillet and heat to over a medium-high heat. Add the pork to the skillet, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, turning once, until the meat is nicely browned on the outside and slightly blush inside, 2 -3 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a plate and tent it with foil.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet, then add the onion and cook until it has softened, about 2 minutes. Add the apple slices to the pan and cook for 1 minute more. Add the broth to the pan then stir in the mustard and return the potatoes to the skillet. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook until the apple has softened slightly and the liquid has reduced a bit, 1-2 minutes. Add the kale and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender but retains its shape and color, about 1 minute. Add any accumulated juices from the plate of pork to the pan. Serve the pork with the vegetable mixture alongside, drizzle with the pan sauce. The dish will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.