Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

The winner of the Mary-James Lawrence cookbook is Ruth Swanto. Thank you everyone for participating.  I will be in touch Ruth.

Back before 2000, we lived in Greensboro, NC. for many years.  We were fortunate to have a Gourmet cooking school and shop called Roosters.  Mary James Lawrence, the owner and instructor was an inspiration to many Greensboro residents.  I took many cooking classes there, not only from Mary James, but from several other professionals in the food industry.  Ben and Karen Barker, James Beard Award winning chefs, were two of them. Their Durham restaurant, Magnolias, since closed, was one of our favorite destinations and their cookbook, Not Afraid of Flavor, holds a special place on my cookbook shelf.   Shirley Corriher, author of the biochemist’s take on food, Cookwise, was another.  There was a time when everyone in Greensboro was making her Spicy Firecrackers; a seasoned saltine cracker. Mary James brought in many people from the cooking scene.

In 2007 Mary James published a cookbook.  It is now out of print, but I was fortunate to get several of them from Mary James.  I would like to share this wonderful cookbook with one lucky winner.  All you have to do is leave a comment  I will number the comments and draw a winning number.

There are so many wonderful recipes in this cookbook.  Many of them come from the popular deli that Roosters had.  It was called Roosters on the Run and was a great place to grab a ready made meal.  Everything from meatloaf to chicken salad to the famous Roosters chocolate cookies.  But this recipe for Pork Tenders with Onion Marmalade, Mustard Cream Sauce and Raspberries really appealed to me.  I am always looking for attractive and tasty dishes to serve to company and this fills the bill.  The onion marmalade made with raspberry vinegar centers the plate.  The pork tenderloin medallions napped with mustard cream sauce surround it and the fresh raspberries add fresh vibrancy to the presentation.

Mary James now leads groups on tours to Southern France.  You can find her on her blog.  Roosters is now closed, but I and many residents of Greensboro are thankful for all of the memories and cooking advice that we received.  Thank you Mary James Lawrence.

PORK TENDERS WITH ONION MARMALADE, MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE AND RASPBERRIES

2 Pork Tenderloins
1/4  cup Dr. Pete’s Burgundy Marinade or your favorite marinade
2 (3-inch) pieces rosemary

ONION MARMALADE
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions (10 cups), slice thin
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper

MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE
3 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups cream
2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Fresh raspberries (garnish)

Trim tenderloins of fat and silver skin.  Place in Ziploc bag.  Add marinade and rosemary branches.  Marinate for 6 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Prepare charcoal grill or preheat gas grill.  Add tenderloins and grill to internal temperature of 165 degrees.

ONION MARMALADE
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil.  Add onions and saute until beginning to caramelize.  Add the raspberry vinegar, honey, and paprika.  Reduce until thickened and glazed.  Season to taste.  Ten cups of onions yields about 3 1/2 to 4 cups marmalade.

MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE
In a 2-quart sauce pan or saucier, sate shallots in olive oil until beginning to brown.  Deglaze with white wine.  Whisk in cream and mustard.  Add thyme.  Reduce to coating consistency.  Can do ahead.  Store in refrigerator.

TO SERVE
Slice pork into 1/2 medallions.  Place small mound of Onion Marmalade in center of plate.  Surround with several pork medallions.  Puddle Mustard Cream Sauce on or just in front of meat.  Sprinkle with fresh raspberries.

Printable Recipe

At a recent get together with the Anderson family (The funeral of General Earl E. Anderson), extended family members from Binghamton, New York brought one of their local specialties; Spiedies. My first understanding was “Speedies”.  What?  Fast chicken and pork?  But I quickly got into the program.  I remembered that the Italian word for skewered meat was spiedini.  How this specialty of Italy made its way to Binghamton is still a mystery to me. I did find out that every August Binghamton holds a Spiedie Rally and Balloon Fest.  There are cooking contests held to see who can make the best spiedie sandwich.  Spiedies are actually skewered marinated meat (beef, chicken, lamb or pork), grilled and served with soft Italian bread which is used to pull the meat off of the skewer.  So forgive the above picture with grilled bread.  To make it authentic that bread should be soft and strong enough to pull the meat off of the skewers.  Add hot sauce or the cooked marinade to make it complete.  Everyone in Binghamton understands the concept.

The recipe I used came from The New York Times.  You can find it here.  With grilling season upon us, you will be happy to have such a flavorful meat entree.  I used pork and chicken.  Do not marinate the chicken for more than 12 hours as it breaks down after that time.  The pork can be marinated for up to 36 hours.

Last week I visited an old friend from college.  She has just built the most charming house on several acres near Black Mountain, just a stones’s throw away from Lake Lure.  I feel so fortunate to have her close by.  We were both newly married attending the University of Florida when we met.  We had an instant rapport.  I am happy to say that Barb and I still have that special connection.  We have been having fun together shopping, lunching and laughing.  I love what she has accomplished with this house.  The farm sink, the color of the cabinets, the sliding barn door and the antique elements all combine to make such a welcoming space.

I could be very happy cooking in this kitchen.

Happy May Day a few days late.  My lilac bush in front of the guest cottage has bloomed on schedule.  Growing up in Michigan it was a tradition to make paper May baskets, fill them with lilacs and deliver them to friends and neighbors on May 1st.  The smell of lilacs brings back all of those memories.

The first recipe I ever posted here was a pork tenderloin preparation that is still one of my favorites.  What is so likable about pork tenderloin is that it has a mild flavor and marries well with numerous ingredients.  With summer in full swing it just makes sense to pair it with a salsa made with some of the summer bounty, which includes peaches.  There are so many salsa recipes out there now.  We are no longer limited to tomato based salsas.  I recently posted a recipe for watermelon and blueberry salsa. Now I am in love with this peach and fennel salsa.

The recipe came from The Tupelo Honey Cookbook.  Tupelo Honey Cafe is a restaurant in Asheville, NC.  I believe they have another one in Knoxville, Tn.  “Reflecting the independent and creative spirit of the New South,  Tupelo Honey Cafe dishes up Southern comfort with innovative flavor pairings.”  It is always a revelation to eat there.  This combination of peaches, crunchy fennel, red onions and roasted red bell pepper is an example of one of the innovative dishes that they serve.

When you serve this salsa with grilled pork tenderloin, you will understand why it is such a great combination.  By the way, I have photographed several pork tenderloin dishes over the years and I have decided that it is one of the hardest meats to “make pretty”.  But put it on a platter with this peach fennel salsa and your aesthetic self and your camera will be proud.  Not to mention your taste buds.

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH PEACH FENNEL SALSA

4 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds)

1 cup Peach Fennel Salsa

Preheat your grill to medium-high.  Combine the rosemary, olive oil, Worcestershire, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Place the pork in the bowl, covering it well with the rosemary mixture, and set aside for 30 minutes.  Cook the pork loin on the grill for 12 to 14 minutes, until medium, turning every couple of minutes to ensure it cooks evenly.  Remove the pork from the heat, let rest briefly and the slice into 1-inch thick pieces, topping each with the salsa.

PEACH FENNEL SALSA

1/2 cup diced fresh fennel (bulb, stalk, and feathery leaves, tough outer layer discarded)
2 cups peeled and diced peaches (about 4 large peaches)
1 cup diced roasted red bell pepper ( I used jarred peppers)
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
4 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the fennel, peaches, bell pepper, onion, garlic oil, and salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 30 minutes.  The salsa can be kept refrigerated for 2 days.

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A simple meal when you are overwhelmed with holiday preparations.  That is what is needed.  I have had this recipes for Sweet and Sour Pork with Papaya and Cashews for years.  I don’t even remember its provenance.  But I was happy to run across it again recently.  A single pork tenderloin was waiting in the freezer, papayas where available in the produce section of the supermarket and cashews were on the pantry shelf.  We enjoyed a quick and easy dinner.  All that was added was a bed of rice to meld with the pan sauce.

We are preparing to travel to visit family for the holidays.  We also have work that needs to be done at our Lake Lure Cottage.  Every three years the lake level is lowered so that homeowners can do repair work to seawalls and boathouse supports.  New Years will find us at a beach cottage on Mrytle Beach with long time friends.  So there is much organization to accomplish besides the usual Christmas rush.  Easy meal preparations is a boon for this time of year.  This recipe fits the bill.

Enjoy the festivities of the season.

SWEET AND SOUR PORK WITH PAPAYA AND CASHEWS

3/4 pound boneless pork loin or pork tenderloin, cubed
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 papaya, peeled, seeded, cubed
1/4 cup cashews

Combine flour and salt and pepper.  Cut pork into 1/2 inch slices or cubes.  Dredge meat in flour, shaking off excess flour.  Saute in oil until browned and cooked through.  In saucepan over medium heat, combine vinegar, water, and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  In a small bowl, blend pineapple juice and cornstarch.  Stir into vinegar and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened.  Gently fold in pork, papaya and cashews.  Serve over a bed of rice.

Printable Recipe

I love working with pork tenderloin.  You can usually find them two to a pack on sale at your local markets.  Recently I made my pork schnitzel with one of the tenderloins in the pack and had to come up with a use for the other one.  Stuffing one is always a good idea.  It is easy to butterfly them and fill them with any number of flavorful combinations.  The Fresh Market and Friends Cookbook had an interesting recipe using dried cherries and pecans, so that is what I did.

The only thing different I would do with this great recipe is make some kind of sauce to go with it.  I found this recipe online using bing cherries, ruby port and balsamic vinegar.  I know it would be perfect with this pork tenderloin.  Next time I will give it a try.  I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday at The Comforts of Home.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH CHERRY PECAN STUFFING

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried cherries
1/4 cup pecans, toasted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper, to taste
Butcher’s twine

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring water to a boil.  Add cherries and immediately remove from heat; let rest for 1 hour then drain.  Transfer cherries to a food processor and add pecans, cinnamon and cloves; pulse until coarsely chopped.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in cilantro.

Preheat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.  Cut tenderloin in half lengthwise 3/3 of the way through and unfold like a book in front of you.  Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top and, using a mallet, flatten slightly.  Remove plastic, season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spread cherry stuffing over tenderloin and fold back together; secure with butcher’s twine.  Sear tenderloin in saute pan for 5 to 6 minutes then transfer to a baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before slicing into medallions to serve.  Serves 4 to 6.

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