Meat and Potatoes

I'm considering adding 'dating' to the title of my blog as a reminder to myself that I should do so consciously. Why I put myself in this situation, I have no idea. When I told the girls about my upcoming dinner date I received only one positive reaction. The voice of encouragement was coming from my mother who prays for me every night that I will meet a good man and settle down and have children. I politely request that she change her plea and ask that I become a successful food journalist and someday have a home where I can grow lots of vegetables and raise chickens. Chickens are just like children right? I have had a crazy busy summer (I know I say that in almost every post), and dating has not been at the top of my list of priorities. After the last guy, really nice and worshiped the ground I walked on but was addicted to video games and lived in a garage, I decided to give it up for a while and concentrate on myself...

I ran into him on Saturday night. We had gone out once before and lets just say he was a little less than a gentleman. It was a long time ago and I had chocked it up to bad timing and way too much alcohol. After a pleasant conversation, he asked if he could take me out again. He seemed genuine in his attempt to redeem himself from the shenanigans he pulled last time. He suggested that we go to dinner and a Giants game in the city. While that sounded fun, I wasn't sure that I wanted to commit to that extravagant of a date. When he sent me a text on Monday morning to confirm our plans, I pulled out the always handy "I got called into work" card. I knew this wouldn't be the end of it so I suggested that I make dinner at my place on Wednesday night. I would be much more comfortable in my own element and have been wanting to cook for a man. I haven't done so since the "nice guy" during my stint with veganism and my culinary skills have developed quite a bit since then.

I assessed him to be a meat and potatoes kind of guy. And, I have yet to cook any meat in my kitchen since falling off the vegan wagon. I am not opposed to cooking or eating meat, I am just very content with the steamy love affair I am having with vegetables. I decided this would be the perfect excuse to add pan seared pork chops to my repertoire. It was market day and I have been wanting to try some meat from TLC Ranch. I usually peruse their selection of organic, pasture beef and pork products but have yet to purchase anything until yesterday. I decided on boneless pork chops. They were thick cut and guaranteed to be juicy. I got a few cooking tips from the vendor as I placed the unusually heavy, foreign item into my market basket. Leeks and apples were as light as feathers compared to their new basket-mate. I finished up my shopping, crossing off rosemary, artichokes, fingerling potatoes and garlic from my list. I don't know why I was putting so much effort into this meal. Especially considering that he was the one who had some impressing to do. I guess more than anything, I wanted to prove to myself that I could cook meat.

Around 4 o'clock I started to get a little nervous. I asked Katie to come over and help me prep the meal while I got ready. Katie has been showing a lot of interest in cooking lately and I am thrilled to teach her a few of my tricks. I marinated the pork chops in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary while Katie halved the potatoes and prepared the artichokes. I wanted to have everything prepped to the point where all I had left to do was cook the chops when my date arrived. The TLC Ranch guy suggested four minutes on each side then allow them to rest for five minutes before serving. They turned out perfect...

Katie left me alone with my nerves and my pork chops. Just before 7pm I put a thick wedge of creamy brie in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. When I took it out, it was warm and gooey, I topped it with fig spread that I mixed with some red chili flakes to add a little spice. I served it with thin slices of bread from a sourdough baguette. My date arrived with a plastic Safeway bag full of Coor's Light and a bottle of Kendall- Jackson Syrah. Like my oven, my kitchen was 400 degrees so I was grateful for the cold can of beer. We made small talk as I seared the pork chops and when they were done we ate outside on my candle lit patio. I lead the conversation and was disappointed that he could care less about the fact everything on his plate was organic, local, and with the exception of the paper used to wrap the raw meat, packaging free.

After our meal, we sat on the couch and finished our drinks. He sipped beer out of one Coor's Light can and spit chewing tobacco into another. At this point the dessert I had planned would stay in the freezer until he was gone. And lets just say that part about him being less than a gentleman, well nothing has changed. After the toad's second attempt to turn into a prince, the princess gave up. I complained about being tired and stopped him from pouring me a second glass of wine. Lucky for me he got the hint and made his get away shortly after. I was go glad that we didn't go the game. I would have had to sit through a two hour commute home from the city before I could text Dara "Pinecone", our secret code for a bad date.

Second Chance Meat and Potatoes

Pan seared boneless pork chops with braised apples and leeks topped with balsamic and fig reduction sauce served with roasted fingerling potatoes with sea salt and rosemary and a steamed artichoke.

I didn't want to be a total blog geek and take pics of food while on a date so here is a pic of the leftovers.

Marinate two boneless, thick cut pork chops in olive oil, add what you like. I added sea salt, black pepper, garlic and rosemary. Meanwhile, wash and halve twelve equal size fingerling potatoes, coat with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh rosemary and sea salt. Roast in a 400 degree oven for twenty five minutes. Cut in half one large Artichoke. Remove hairy center and steam for 35-40 minutes. Peel and slice one large Golden Delicious apple and two large leeks, roots removed and cleaned thoroughly. Saute sliced leeks in olive oil for five minutes, or until soft. Add apples and saute an additional five minutes. Add a splash of red wine, salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of fig spread. Saute until apples are soft, about five more minutes then set aside. Using the same pan, sear the pork chops over medium heat for four minutes on each side. The chops will be ever so slightly pink in the center. I prefer them that way, If you don't, cook five to seven minutes per side. Let the chops rest while you make the sauce. Heat 1/2 cup fig spread over low heat until bubbly. Add balsamic vinegar to thin. Heat until bubbly again.Assemble your plates and drizzle sauce over the pork chops. Serve to someone who truly deserves a second chance...