Pork or fish

Now we are back at work and it is summer of sorts we are looking for quick light meals. Phoebe has been preparing many of the meals and we have been eating fish when she's working.
One of her favourite meals, & one she is successfully mastering, is pork with cider. Take one pork chop per person & trim off the fat if there is any. Wrap in cling film & bash the chop out a little - not too thin.
Cook the chops in a pan with garlic infused olive oil, on a high heat, about 5 minutes per side. You could add garlic to regular oil but it is likely to catch & pre-infused is quicker. Take out the chops & stand - cover to keep warm. Pour about 125ml (for 2 chops) cider into the pan & deglaze, then add 1 tbsp grainy mustard & 75ml cream. Let the sauce cook a few minutes then pour over the chops. Apparently the cook gets to drink what's left of the bottle of cider. Phoebe served with gnocchi which she turned in the remaining pan juices before serving, and steamed beans. The gnocchi was a find. The Scopa guy is selling hand made pasta at the market & his gnocchi is amazing. As you can see his pedigree is impeccable. You can drop it in boiling water & when it rises to the top it is done. Lorenzo (or maybe Leonardo), recommended tossing in a little butter in a pan until lightly golden. It only needs a minute or so. He did say add a minute for every day it has been made. It was delicious. I find gnocchi a challenge to make & most bought stuff is inedible so I was delighted to discover this.
This pork meal is not heavy but if you are looking for a lighter option try a fillet of fish. Terakihi is beautiful dusted with a little seasoned flour & lightly pan fried. You can serve with a medley of roasted spring vegetables. Toss some fresh young carrots with strips of capsicum, boiled baby potatoes & a few shallots, in olive oil & season. Roast at 180 about 30-40 minutes. I usually put them into a heated tray at 200 & immediately turn down. After 20 minutes add thick slices of courgette, cut on the diagonal.
For a thicker cut of fish such as lemon fish, try briefly searing the fish in a pan then transfer to the dish with the vegetables to finish off in the oven. You can do this with any vegetables & I have done it with root vegetables in a tagine. This week we used cherry tomatoes & capsicum. I bought a selection of different coloured & shaped tomatoes & they all behaved a little differently. Some retained shape & firmness & others dissolved into little balls of sweet deliciousness. Using the method above, roast the capsicum & tomatoes in a hot dish in a hot oven, 10 minutes. Lightly brown the fish in a pan. Sprinkle a handful of capers & halved black olives with a dash of red wine vinegar over the vegetables & lay the fish fillets on top. Return to the oven 5-8 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Sprinkle with parsley & serve with a dish of freshly dug potatoes tossed in parsley & butter. Add a simple salad dressed with lemon & olive oil.
We have a variety of delicious leaves growing in the garden at the moment. In addition to Cos, Little Gem & Red Sails we are growing Sorrel & Radicchio. Apparently Sorrel is something you will find in every French housewife's kitchen garden. You can't buy it in the shops - you have to grow it & I recommend you do. I found a ratty little seedling at the garden centre & it is flourishing. You just pick off the leaves as required. I am planning to experiment with sauces & soup. One of you sent me some recipes I am about to try. Radicchio is a red relative of chicory & is a pretty leaf that goes well in salads. Remember a recent foray to the green grocer where he insisted that I probably wanted radishes & didn't know how to spell. I have been struggling to buy it recently so we are producing our own. It is also a success.
On the topic of success it has not been a great year for jam fruit, at least in our neck of the woods. I did manages to pick up some reasonably priced blueberries & small strawberries. We have a bit of a surplus of rhubarb as well, so we now have a small quantity of strawberry, blueberry & rhubarb & ginger jam. That should tide us over.