Solstice in Beige
December 23rd, 2015 · 1 Comment · Posted in Blog, dinner
We turned a corner yesterday, from shortest day of the year to days growing longer again. How to mark the occasion? We head to our chest freezer for some of those thick, juicy pork chops from the half-pig we bought from our friend Mike.
I melt some bacon grease in our favorite cast-iron skillet and sear the chops hard. They finish in the oven and while they rest I make pan gravy the way my grandmother taught: save some of that pork fat in the skillet, stir in flour to make a roux. It turns a nutty brown from those bits of meat at the bottom of the skillet. Add stock from our own Freedom Ranger broilers until the gravy just coats a spoon and finish with a dollop of cream from our Jersey cow, Emily.
The mashed potatoes are from plane Jane Russets, but we pass them through a ricer to make them extra smooth and fluffy. With some of Emily’s butter and milk, they become exquisite.
In complete contrast to all these home-grown details, daughter has perfected her preparation of the classic green bean casserole: canned beans, Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup and French’s fried onions. Oh, we remember it well, and it is so good.
Anything wrong with mixing family dinner traditions?
Mmmm looks nummy, love green bean casserole, will be making some today!!!