Pork chops with Poblano Creme Sauce

Eric was on the East end of town at Westridge picking up some pork chops. (Did you notice that I was not a vegetarian for very long?). I was on the West side near Farmer and the Cook.

Olivia has just put out the most beautiful selection of dried chilies and she is carrying anchovies.

She fed me the most Delicious tomato with some mozzarella and basil mixture in her kitchen. Tasting anything Olivia makes inspires one back into the kitchen. So, based on what I could get at FNC today, the menu tonight was this:

Pork chops with Poblano Creme Sauce
Steamed Green Beans with Lemon and Dillweed
Roasted Potatoes sliced Chip Style

I posted the green beans below.
You know how to roast potatoes.

Here is how I made the sauce for the Chops.

1. Boil some water and pour over 3 dried Poblano Chilies to hydrate. (Let sit 30 minutes)

2. Meanwhile, mince up a big shallot from Steve and Olivia's Farm.

3. Mince up a few anchovies.

4. Mince up some garlic.

5. When chilies are ready, remove seeds and veins and mince up. (Note: the poblanos were not as hot as I wanted them to be so I wish I had left the seeds in. Each chili is different, so experiment). Mix the garlic, anchovies, and chili into a paste.

6. Heat some olive oil in a pan and pan roast the peppered porkchops to brown on both sides. (I cover the pan to keep the splatter down and hurry up the cooking inside the meat). Remove chops to a plate.

7. Add shallots to the pan. Stir. Add chili paste to the pan and stir. I let it cook for about a minute. Add a little brandy or other choice cooking liqueur to deglaze the pan. Add some beef broth. Allow to simmer. I tasted it and it was not hot enough, so I added some red pepper flakes. Add some heavy whipping creme. Allow to reduce.

8. I put the chops back in for a little bit to steam in the creme sauce.

Then, to serve. I put the beans and the potatoes on a plate. Put the chop on top and spooned some of the sauce over.

the savory scones at farmer and the cook

the savory scones at farmer and the cook are SO GOOD that i have no desire to learn how to make them.  and i refuse to share mine.

this morning i called to find out if they were happening.  emy told me that they were "in the oven and should be ready in about 20 minutes"

oh!  i can't imagine i have done anything in my life to deserve such a special treat!

Pan Roasted Open Faced Grilled Cheese with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Avocado and Chiptole Lime Salt

5 out of the 6 ingredients came direct from Steve and Olivia at Farmer and the Cook

1. Heat an indulgent amount of olive oil in non-stick or other favorite grilled cheese making pan

2. Slice up some of Olivia's fresh spelt seed bread 

3. Place slices in oil and allow to "toast"

4. Meanwhile, grate up some yummy sharp cheddar cheese.  You could get this at FnC, but I had some from Vermont in my fridge.

5. Turn slices of bread over, sprinkle with cheese and cover to allow cheese to melt.

6. When cheese is melted, remove to a plate.  Put 2 or more of olivia's amazing smoked sun dried tomatoes on top.  Slice up some avocado and place on each sandwich.  Sprinkle with Olivia's amazing chipolte Lime sea salt.  Eat with a fork and knife for tidiness or not.

You can get Olivia's chipolte mix and tomatoes at organichiles.com.

The Perfect Sun Dried Tomato

Olivia Chase of Farmer and the Cook has created the perfect Sun Dried Tomato.  Soft, packed with flavor, moist and chewy, it lends itself to a whole new paradigm of what do to with sun dried tomatoes.

Her site:

oragnichilies.com will start to sell them soon 

along with her perfect chipotle lime salt and other goodies.

You can also visit her at the Farmer's Market in Ojai on Sundays next to Friend's Ranch stand which is where you should get your lemonade.

Steve Sprinkle's Cherry Tomatoes with Blue Cheese

Last night we were on our way to the OVLC Moonlight on the Meadow Fundraiser. Seemed like a good idea to make a little snack before going. Steve Sprinkle had gifted me a basket of the most beautiful orange sweet small tomatoes. They are bigger than cherry tomatoes and probably have another name. Be sure to get some before they are gone.

1. Quarter 6 of the delicious small orange tomatoes from Framer and the Cook.
2. Drizzle with the Balsamic Vinegar that Kim brought you back from Argentina
3. Crumble the blue cheese that is in your fridge over the tomatoes
4. Drizzle some good olive oil over the tomatoes
5. Sprinkle some good salt

We ate it with forks.

Seared Miso Ahi Tuna with Fennel, Daikon Salad and Leeks

1. Thinly slice one leek from Tutti Frutti.
2. Saute up leek on medium/low heat in olive oil. Set aside when done.
3. Thinly slice 2 fennel bulbs from BD and squeeze with lemon juice.
4. Thinly slice daikon radish from Rainbow and squeeze with lemon from Eric's tree. Create a "salad" with the fennel and the radish on the plates.
5. Grate zest from one or two lemons.
6. Finely chop super thin scallions from B.D.
7. Slice hunk of tuna from Alicia at GeeWhataDeal into four 1" steaks. Smear with Red Barley Miso from Farmer and the Cook. Heat olive oil and once hot, put steaks on. Sear on one side (about 2 minutes and then sear less on the other).
8. To serve, put pieces of fish on top of the radish fennel salad. Scatter leeks, lemon zest and scallions on top. Along side, serve Tamari soy sauce, wasabi, pumpkin seeds. The fish did not need the condiments, but Eric prefers it like that.

Volunteer Heirloom Bruschetta

Beautiful Ripe Small Heirlooms from Steve's Farm
Red Onion from Farmer and the Cook
Fresh Garlic from B.D.
Arugula from Steve's Farm
Lemon Basil from BD
Balsamic Vinegar from Kim from Argentina
Olive Oil
Fresh Mozzarella from Rainbow

Olivia combined the above ingredients in the perfect combination and sliced the mozzarella, arranging it around the bowl of tomatoes.
I sliced the bread into 1/2 inch thick slices. Toasted one side, then lightly under toasted the other. Removed from oven, rubbed a cut slice of garlic on the slices, poured some olive oil on them and toasted them a little more.
Instead of putting the tomato mixture on the bread, Olivia served the bowl of tomatoes with the bread on the side.

Steve and Olivia Came Over for Dinner

And Steve said, "I'll bring some vegetables and Patron."
And I said, "I'll order some fish from Alicia"

I had a wide open cranial sacrum appointment with Arturo that ended at 6:45.
Steve and Olivia showed up about then.

Alicia had delivered a shy 2lb of ahi tuna and 8 diver scallops.
Olivia came with volunteer heirlooms, leeks, carrots, arugula.
And I had some stuff in the fridge.

We made tomato bruschetta with lemon Basil and fresh mozzarella, french potato salad, miso ahi tuna on a bed of fennel, radish with leeks.

We ate apricots, caramel ice cream and drank black coffee.

Olivia's Perfect Squash Blossom Pizza

Sunday Nights at Farmer and the Cook now offer a selection of delicious salads and pizzas and Jonothan McCuen and friends play. We got the 2 Squash Blossom Pizzas. I feel like I could eat another. Maybe Olivia will give up the recipe, but let me see if I can recreate it:

1. Amazing delicious flaky thin pizza crust
2. Caramelized Onions
3. Fresh abundant vibrant basil pesto
4. Creamy flavorful goat cheese
5. Toasted Pine Nuts
6. Squash Blossoms fresh from the Farm

I gobbled it up and washed it down with a little red wine from Casa Barranca, our local organic vintner.

Such a nice community vibe and feeling always at FnC. Thank you Steve and Olivia.

Brown Cow Creme Yougurt with Olivia's Apricot Jam

in a bowl, stir the creme top yogurt until smooth.
add olivia's apricot jam and stir to blend
add some ground cardamon