Fall is one of my favorite times of year. There is just something about the way the temperature changes to something remotely comfortable, slipping on your favorite pair of jeans after a three month hiatus, sleeping with open windows instead of AC, and not sweating when you drink that piping hot cup of coffee. (I don’t care what anyone says, as much as I like a good cup of iced coffee, it’s the hot stuff that opens my eyes in the morning.)
And of course, cooking season is back. Hearty soups and stews, tender roasts, and fall vegetables. (Pumpkin!) Fall began in earnest in my neck of the woods this past week, and to celebrate I prepared a lovely autumn-inspired dinner for B and myself the other night.
The inspiration for this meal came from a book that my friend Karen sent me. (Think of a Number, by John Verdon… I’m only halfway through, but so far it’s a really great, compelling read. Thanks again, Karen!) Early on in the book, the protagonist’s wife cooked pork chops braised in apple juice. We all know that pork chops and apples go together like chocolate and peanut butter. How could I resist?
Since Think of a Number is a mystery and not a cookbook, I had to use my Google skills to find a recipe. I couldn’t come up with anything that was apple juice specific, but I did find one that called for apple cider. Close enough… in fact, even better. Cider, in my opinion, is so much better than juice, and it’s definitely more seasonal. The recipe was very simple. It called for the chops, the cider and some diced onion, dried sage (which I did not have, so I substituted rosemary) and vegetable oil.
To accompany the pork chops, I decided to do something beyond the basic apple sauce. I still wanted an apple-based side. A) because, like I said, pork chops and apples go together like chocolate and peanut butter, and B) because B and I had a bowlful of apples that were on the pushing list.
Another Google search later and I had a simple recipe for homemade applesauce, and another recipe for apple stuffed acorn squash. The apple sauce was used in the stuffing, along with brown rice, celery and pecans with some ginger and onion powder. The squash was seasoned with butter and cinnamon prior to stuffing.
I may have been pushing the season just a little bit, but it was quite a delicious meal. Sadly, in all my excitement to eat the dish, I neglected to take a picture of it to share with you all. My only complaint was that the pork chop recipe was a little vague on how long to cook the pork, so it was slightly overcooked when I was done. Fortunately, while it was a little tough, it wasn’t dry and the sauce made from the braising liquid helped hide its flaws.
If anyone is interested in the recipes for the pork, applesauce and squash, just shoot me a message and I’ll share the specifics.
Happy fall, everyone!
