My menu planning tonight started out like it does a lot of the time – with a side dish. Actually, I really wanted Zuni chicken, but that requires a previous-day head start.
I knew I wanted to try these green beans. I hate green beans. Not as much as I hate asparagus, but close. I haven’t been able to find a way to cook them so that they’re palatable to me – until now. Roasting is THE way to go with veggies. I really liked these. Nice and garlicky, with some crunch from the pine nuts. They didn’t taste like green beans at all.
The pork chops were excellent. The sauce was really flavorful (although I ate around the mushrooms). Jay and Larry really liked it. In fact, Larry really liked the entire meal. The pork chop recipe is originally from The Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cookbook.
- Pork Chops with Mushroom-Caper Pan Sauce (Best of the Best Vol. 7, p. 74)
- Roasted Green Beans with Lemon, Pine Nuts & Parmigano (Fine Cooking # 82, December 2006, p. 55)
- Lemony Salt-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes (Food & Wine, October 2006)
Wine: Sonnet 2003 York Mountain Kruse Vineyard Pinot Noir (York Mountain, California). Out last bottle of Sonnet, but they’re having a release party on Wednesday. Yummy as usual.
Roasting for sure, I haven’t met a roasted veggie that I don’t like yet. I know you don’t like asparagus, but it is quite nice roasted. Lemony salt fingerlings are superbilicious. Good call on your meal plan:)
I find that roasting asparagus does not do it for me. So far, I haven’t found a way to cook it that makes it even slightly edible. Bleh.
The pork chop recipe sounds tasty, especially the sauce. I just posted about a pesto cream sauce I made for pork that had me looking for other good pork recipes. Our tastes seem to depart when it comes to veggies though–I like asparagus and beans just steamed. Though I have also roasted asparagues with mushrooms and finished with a bit of truffle oil, with good results
Asparagus and mushrooms together – my two most hated vegetables! I generally don’t like vegetables so I have to work hard to find a way to make them palatable.