The weather says comfort food. My inner lotus says, "feed me spring." The inside of my freezer still has berries and tomatoes picked from last summer. One cannot let that go to waste. It suddenly became imperative that I use my summer bounty up immediately. So I made a start:
Pork Chops with Blueberry Sauce: adapted from Weekend Light Menus
It's hearty enough for the days that hover around zero. With a savory, bluesy sauce that promises to put me in the pink. You need:
2T olive oil
4 pork chops
1 shallot - minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1-1/2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries
1/2 cup beef broth
1T balsamic vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1 T unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
Saute pork in heated oil in large saute pan. Under high heat, cook for about 4-5 minutes per side (basically - till done). Transfer chops to another plate and keep warm. Add shallots to pan and stir 30 seconds. Deglaze pan with red wine. Simmer until most is evaporated. (I simmered it down to 1/4 cup - I like the wine in the sauce. I'm also not adverse to wine in the glass.) Stir in blueberries, broth, vinegar, brown sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until blueberries begin to burst and sauce thickens - about 5 minutes.
Off heat, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper. (I did not use the butter; I'd like to admit that it was in the interest of good health - but I forgot.) Put chops on platter, cover with blueberry sauce. Serve. Eat.
The blueberry sauce kept good company with some noodles.
What can I say? It put a spring in my step? Now I'm staring at the frozen tomatoes and frozen red peppers. Sigh. At least it's summer in my freezer.
