Thoughtful winter cooking in the sprawl zone

We're staying in more than we used to lately. Suburban living, I guess. And without a steady supply of fresh Alaskan salmon (or, this time of year, Dungeness crabs), I find myself running out of recipes faster than usual. I'm also trying to be a healthier and more environmentally thoughtful cook - at least marginally - which knocks out some of the recipes I grew up on (no offense intended to my mother -- we just worry more and maybe know more now about what impact certain foods have).

We've also joined a CSA, which has been an interesting experience in a Northeast winter. This CSA approaches winter with a massive root cellar and a greenhouse, so while the root and vine veggies aren't that different from what you might find in the grocery, freshness-wise, they are hyper-local and organic, and also sometimes out of my comfort zone. The greens are a revelation. Living in the PacNW, I got through winter by buying jumbo tubs of salad greens, never doubting they would last as long as I ate them consistently. Here, it's another story. No matter which brand and which grocery they often are slimy very soon after opening, and buying the loose greens is often just as much a depressing process. Lettuce from the farm, though? Crisp, fresh, and sweet, and lasts as long as I need it to.

Anyhoo, I digress. The other night found us with a significant surplus of squash (half a butternut, plus a ginormous Blue Hubbard), and some dark thick-leaf Asian greens which for the life of my I can't tell you the name of. I rummaged in the freezer for some protein and turned up some pork cutlets, and the following ensued.

Menu:

• Balsamic Rosemary Pork Cutlets
• Butternut Squash Puree
• Sauteed Greens

The cutlets were maybe a touch overdone - the sear wasn't good enough initially, so cooking them through took longer than planned, but the flavors were good. The puree was a little chunky, due to my lack of interest in transfering the whole thing to a food processor, but still tasty, and the greens were darn good. (I approached them like collards and it worked out great - lesson of the day, it's safe to guess and wing it sometimes)

Balsamic Rosemary Pork Cutlets

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaf, chopped (I saw this too late and used dry, and it was fine.)
• 1 lb pork tenderloin, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices (or a bunch of cutlets - it's essentially the same thing and allows for quantity adjustments
• Kosher salt & fresh black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup canned chicken broth
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

Sprinkle pork on both sides with rosemary, salt, and pepper.

Add to pan and sear for about 3 minutes on each side, or until a good bronze is there. Remove the pork from pan and set aside.

Combine broth, vinegar and honey, stirring with a whisk. (NOTE: these are porportions. If you're making less, just reduce accordingly - it's a general guide more than anything else.)

Add to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes or until reduced and thickened somewhat.

Return pork to pan, turning to coat, and cook until thoroughly heated (you can use a meat thermometer here if you don't trust your eyeballing, but watch carefully as cutlets can go from moist and tender to overcooked and tough very quickly.)


Butternut (and other squash) Puree

• 2 whole Butternut Squash, Halved And Seeded (or whatever squash you have laying around, in the amount you want to eat - leftovers are fine.)
• 6 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces (approximate)
• 1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup (also approximate, to taste)
• Dash Of Salt
• Ground Cinnamon, For Sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the squash halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes or until fork-tender. Cool briefly to avoid burning your hands, and then scoop out the innards into a bowl and add butter, syrup, and salt. Mash with a potato masher OR puree with a food processor. Spread into a small casserole dish and sprinkle with cinnamon. Keep warm in the oven until serving, then serve by the spoonful! (Or just mash into a bowl, cover it in foil, and set aside. We stuck in the microwave for insulation, OBVIOUSLY not turning on the microwave with metal in there.)

Sautéed Greens

• One bunch dark greens like collards, or in this case Google suggests I probably had yokatta na
• Olive oil
• herbal mix - some garlic, thyme, etc. I used an herbed oil. 
• salt
• crushed red pepper

Rinse the greens thoroughly and pat dry. Remove the stems and spine, leaving you with a pile of half-circles. Roll them into a long tube and chop, leaving you with 1-inch wide strips of leaf. Toss in a bowl and set aside.

Heat a skillet on medium-high, and add a glug of oil. (Not too much, maybe a tablespoon or two - depends on how many greens you're using, but you don't want a ton of oil. Just enough to slide around the pan.) When the oil is shimmery, add the greens and salt them, adding a sprinkle of the crushed red pepper. Toss continuously with tongs - they will wilt very quickly, and as soon as they do, remove from the heat and set aside till you're ready to serve plates.


The greens were a sort of bed for the pork, with the squash along side. It was all quick and easy, and surprisingly good.