We had these roasted root veggies from the garden with our pork chops
Fall is finally here in Colorado! That subtle shift in the air, that familiar crisp, coolness. I get fall fever pretty bad, wanting all that it brings, comfort food being at the top of the list. The garden is finally popping out the root vegetables that I planted from seed this spring. This was my first ever crop of carrots and beets! Very exciting for a nerdy gardener and cooking geek like myself.
I wanted to accompany our roasted root veggies with one of my sweetheart’s favorite foods, pork chops! Soon pork chops will be needing their own category on the blog! I did a twist on one of my old stand bys with the apples this time, creating an apple cream sauce. It is actually a pretty light sauce with the addition of apple juice to the cream, oh, and maple syrup of course! I found some fancy alder wood smoked sea salt at the grocery store that gives the most subtle, yet distinct smokiness. Here is what I did:
4 pork loin chops, fat cut away.
2 granny smith apples, or try Fuji or mackintosh…what ever you feel like. Core them and slice thin.
1/4 cup of apple juice or cider. I happened to have apple mango juice!
1/3 cup half and half. For those of you who may not be familiar with half and half, it is half heavy cream half milk. Cream is fine.
2 tbsp. garlic minced or paste, which is what I used.
1 tbsp maple syrup. 2 tsp. fresh snipped thyme.
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbps. brown sugar
1 tsp. chili powder
black pepper to taste
1 tsp. alder wood smoked sea salt. or plain ol’ salt!
For the Roasted Root Veggies:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
A bunch of carrots, beets and small red skinned potatoes. You can also add sweet potato, rutabaga or parsnips. Whatever kind of root veggies you like.
2 tbsp olive oil (or 2 glugs. you won’t be saving any calories that way however…)
2 tbsp. dried Herbs de Providence.
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the veggies into uniform sized pieces. coat with the oil, add the salt, pepper and herbs. Place on a cookie sheet.
Bake till tender. Mine took about 40 minutes.
For the Pork Chops:
Take the brown sugar, chili powder, salt and pepper and coat both sides of all the chops.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chops, cook about 10 minutes, flipping them over half way though the cooking. Cook them until a meat thermometer reads 145 degrees.
Remove the chops, cover with foil and set them aside.
Add the apples to the same skillet along with the garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the apple juice, cooking about 3 more minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed and the apples are crisp tender.
While the apples cook, add together the cream and maple syrup. Pour the mixture over the apples and heat through about 2 minutes. Add the fresh thyme. Cook until sauce starts to thicken.
Spoon the apple mixture and sauce over the chops and serve with the roasted veggies. Mmmmm…..
