Rosemary Braised Pork with Spring Vegetables

For my birthday, Mike and I took Emma to our favorite French bistro, Cafe des Ami.  It is tucked in the second floor of a building in downtown Parkville (a small old town, 20 minutes north of Kansas City).  The owners are French, there are copper pots hanging on the walls, candlelight, great wine and delicious food.

I always order the same thing - we start with the black truffle pate and then I have the Seafood Bouillabaisse, served rustic style in a Le Creuset directly on the table.  Emma had a cream of broccoli soup with a side of roasted carrots and mashed potatoes.  When we take her to nicer restaurants, we encourage her to order sides or soup that appeal to her instead of kids' meals that are usually the same everywhere (chicken strips, butter noodles, pizza, etc...).  She ends up with a small sampling of new flavors and broadens her palate with a smaller investment than ordering her a full-size entree.

Mike typically goes for a filet, but this time he opted for a delicious sounding Braised Pork Shoulder in a Rosemary Broth.  Oh my goodness.  It was pull apart tender and the rosemary was so subtle.  I recreated it this weekend and paired it with Emma's spring vegetable sides to create one of the best meals we've had lately.

The list of ingredients is short and simple, but they somehow marry to become completely delicious. It would be the perfect Spring Supper or Easter Lunch, as it is very hands off, though it does require 6-7 hours in the oven.

The broth marries everything together, so I served it in shallow soup bowls.

I put it on one of my favorite platters that has deep sides.  It is great for large salads, pastas or meals like this with a brothy sauce.

The Creamware Platters come in a set of 6.  This is the 5th largest of the set.  I used the smallest for the side of mashed potatoes.

This is an easy dinner for a crowd, just two platters and a stack of bowls.  This dinner would easily feed 6-8.

Have you noticed a peek at a few different linens in these photos?  I couldn't decide which I liked best with this display.  They are the new block prints and will be included in the spring launch that will be in just a few days (or the beginning of next week - still working out details).

Here are the pillows that have just arrived.  I am so in love with the piping details we added this season.  Can't wait to get my house fluffed up this week with these new covers.

Rosemary Braised Pork with Spring Vegetables



4 pound Pork Shoulder
4 cloves of garlic
4 sprigs of rosemary
2 tablespoons of sea salt
olive oil
water*
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5 carrots
1/2 head of cabbage
8 green onions
1 cup of frozen peas

Begin by making a the rosemary garlic rub by mincing the leaves of 1 sprig of rosemary (1 tablespoon), and 4 cloves of garlic.  Combine with sea salt.  Rub on pork shoulder.

In a dutch oven (or large pan with lid), heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Sear the pork for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Add 3 cups of water and 2 sprigs of rosemary.  Cover the pot and put in a 300 degree oven for 6 hours.

Meanwhile, prep the vegetables that will cook in the broth at the end of the cooking time.  I like to cut the cabbage into 2 inch pieces, and slice the carrots and green onions lengthwise.

After 6 hours, the pork will be tender.  Remove the pork from the broth and let it cool on a plate.
Add the cabbage, carrots and green onions to the rosemary pork liquid still in the pot.  Simmer on the stove for 20 minutes until they are tender.  Add the frozen peas at the end.

To serve, place pork in the center of a large platter, then spoon vegetables around.  Spoon broth over the pork and vegetables.  Serve remaining sauce on the side.

I love this with mashed potatoes, crusty bread, noodles or soft rolls.  Yum!

Emma mixed the rub together and mashed the rosemary and garlic salt.

This is the pork after being seared, then water added to the pot to pick up all of the bits and make a delicious broth.

After the pork cooks, the vegetables are simmered in the liquid.

Family Style service is my favorite.  Doesn't this look amazingly comforting?

My birthday happened to be the day after the workshop and this dinner out, being taken care of in a cozy bistro with fancy comfort food (and bubbly!) was the perfect way to celebrate.

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 I'll keep you updated on the Spring launch - as soon as the last batch of linens come in, we'll be all set to go!

Pan Fried Chicken with Morel Mushroom and Shallot Sauce

It is that time again... Morel Mushroom season.  We are heading to my parents this weekend for some mushroom hunting and fishing, and it sounds like the best way to spend a spring Sunday.  I'm re-sharing this from 2013, our first Spring back home.

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I try to cook as seasonally as I can.  When I'm lost on what to make for dinner, I head to the store to see what looks good - what produce is new and fresh.  When we lived in Concord, that usually meant going to Verrill Farm to see what they had fresh from the field (and to snack on a Cranberry Orange scone...).  Here, I rely on the Brookside Market until the Farmers' Markets start up later in the spring.  Last week while wondering through the store for inspiration I saw the coveted Morel Mushrooms next to the Asparagus... spring!



You might remember my post last fall about our family's tradition of hunting morels each spring - my Granny's all-time favorite.  I posted about a Cream of Morel Soup I created in her memory.  So, now that Morel season is upon us (... in the store at least), I'm anxious to fix some of my favorites - starting with this recipe of Pan Fried Chicken in a Morel Mushroom and Shallot Sauce.  This weekend I'm going to experimenting with more recipes as my family is all getting together for a weekend of "Mushroom Hunting."  I'm wondering if I can train Mr. Darcy to sniff out morels similarly to the Truffle hunting dogs in France.... 


Pan Fried Chicken 
with Morel Mushroom and Shallot Sauce


2 pounds of chicken breast (or tenders)
1/4 cup of flour
1 tablespoon of sea salt
1/2 tablespoon of pepper
5 tablespoons of butter

2 shallots, minced

4-6 ounces (about 12 sm/med sized) morel mushrooms, halved
1 cup of white wine
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
3/4 cup of cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.


If using chicken breasts, filet each breast so it is half the thickness.  If using tenders they should be the correct size already.



Combine flour, salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken in the flour mixture.  In a skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.



Brown chicken in the butter for 3 minutes on each side.  Remove chicken from pan and place on a sheet pan.  Bake the chicken for 10-15 minutes in the oven until cooked through, depending on the size of the breasts or tenders.



In the same skillet in which the chicken was browned, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and shallots.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until the shallots are tender, then add mushrooms.  Cook for 2-3 more minutes until the mushrooms are soft.



Add white wine and sugar to the pan and using a wooden spoon, scrape the bits from the bottom of the pan to create a sauce with the wine.  Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until it has reduced slightly.  Add cream and cook for 3 more minutes until it is smooth and creamy.  Serve warm sauce over browned/baked chicken.

 


I was tempted to serve the chicken and sauce over mashed potatoes, but then I thought...



How about a Banana Cream Pie for dessert?  Recipe, here >

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue & Lemon Curd Celebration Candles

I'm re-sharing this from two years ago : )  The Lemon Curd Celebration Candles featured here have been restocked in my store!

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I love looking back at old posts.   Sort of.  Sometimes I cringe at photos I took with my iphone, other times it brings back a great memory... and delicious dessert.  I've included one of my original first posts (6 years ago) below that I'm revisiting today - Lemon Meringue Cupcakes.  I realize that citrus season is in the winter, but for me, nothing is as springy as a lemon dessert.  Actually lemon anything.

Today, I'm making these in honor of Emma's Mimi's birthday - like me, she's crazy about any thing lemon and cupcakes.  While I haven't shared these cupcakes on the blog in years, they are one of my favorite to make: white cake topped with lemon curd and swiss meringue.

I've topped them with my 6" Celebration Candles in Lemon Curd - a new color for spring.  They are perfectly lemony in color with a beautiful natural subtle hue.



Products used :

6" Celebration Candles in Lemon Curd
Jumbo Starburst Tip
18" Disposable Piping Bag
Brown Cupcake Liners

The cupcakes can come from a box, and the curd can be store-bought, or everything can be made from scratch.  If you're feeling ambitious today (unlike me) and would like to make everything from scratch, here is my recipe for Lemon Butter Cake that would be great to use for the cupcake element, and here is link to my Lemon Curd recipe.

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes


Get my Printable Recipes, here.

24 Cupcakes - Vanilla or Lemon (from a mix or homemade)
Lemon Curd (store-bought or homemade)
Swiss Meringue (recipe below)

Bake cupcakes as directed.  Let cool for 30 minutes before topping.



Gently split each cupcake to allow lemon curd to get into the cake.



Dollop lemon curd on generously.



Put Swiss Meringue in a large piping bag (18" Disposable Bags) fitted with the Giant Starburst Tip, $4.

Pipe meringue in swirls on top of the lemon curd cupcakes.


Optional : To toast the top of the meringue, place the cupcakes under the broiler (set to about 400 degrees) in the oven for 30 seconds.  OR, use a kitchen blowtorch, like I did here.










 




Swiss Meringue

4 egg whites
1 cup of sugar
1 pinch of cream of tarter

In the top bowl of a double boiler (glass bowl sitting on a sauce pan with simmering water), whisk together egg whites, sugar and cream of tarter.  




Cook mixture in the double boiler over medium low heat for 3-5 minutes, or until sugar has dissolved.  If you rub the mixture between your fingers, you should be able to tell if the sugar has dissolved.




Transfer the mixture to your kitchen aid fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whisk on high for 7-10 minutes.



The mixture will cool and froth into a thick meringue as it whips.  Beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer to piping bag, or spread directly on lemon curd. 

Here is the easy-to-pin strip!






















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Now, you can enjoy a flashback of some fine photography from years past : )

For my friend's birthday party last night, I created these refreshing Lemon Meringue Cupcakes.  I picked these "Naked Ladies" (pink flowers) from my backyard - I love them in big bunches. 

Leah enjoying her Birthday cupcakes!