Crusted Lemon-Garlic Pork Loin with Cheesy Creamed Baby Dutch New and Red Potatoes

This was whipped up in about 90 minutes, with most of it being in the oven, so very little actual work for this impressive meal. I admit to using store-bought pie crust – I can make my own, and have many times, but this was supposed to be a quick meal before the old folks went to bed. Okay, for me, "easy" is relative. Some things just aren't as good in the microwave the next day, and this is one of them. Don't fret over the herbs and spices. Put your nose to work, and figure out what you and your family will find appetizing. I just discovered epazote a few weeks ago while watching Bitchin' Kitchen – "The Spice Agent" described it as having a mild anise flavor, which is great to use when a recipe calls for tarragon or anise, because I don't like a strong licorice flavor in anything. The next day, at the famers' market, I found an epazote starter, so Lou and I laughed and bought it. Kismet… I've identified which type of herbs that I used, but if you prefer a different variety, use it. Use whatever you have growing in your garden, or have in your spice cabinet. That's how I work. You shouldn't have to spend a fortune on fresh herbs. You can always start an herb garden, inside or outside, depending on where you live – I've seen a two-shelf one for $20. A five shelf one is $55. You can also build your own, which is what my husband and I are going to do, Okay, he's going to do the carpentry, and I'm going to watch over him, nagging occasionally, and refilling the cocktails. Most recently, we have two 18-gallon tubs upside down with three trays of 72 (each), and two 18-gallon tubs with holes drilled all over for growing potatoes. I have two more that are waiting for the seed potatoes (and yams) to sprout, and the other two are earmarked for fabric for my growing business (making clothes, accessories, and aprons from recycled fabric and trim. Moving on… Ingredients for the Pork Loin: 1 Pork loin, center cut, about 1.5 to 2 lbs. 1 Pie crust, Fresh or Frozen. If frozen, it obviously has to be thawed. You can also use Phyllo Puff Pastry 2 T Butter, unsalted 4 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced 1 T Extra virgin olive oil 1 Medium sized (Organic, Pastured) egg, whisked until slightly fluffy Juice of one large lemon, halved 1/2 cup Plain Greek Yoghurt, or Ricotta cheese, if you're slanted toward Italian Salt and pepper, to taste 2 T Thyme, Caraway, Lime, and English, mixed 2 t Tarragon, French 1 t Dill, Mammoth 2 t Epazote (can be substituted for Tarragon) 1 T Marjoram, Hardy 1 T 1. 2. 3. 4.

Gather your spices, fresh or dried. Chopped, then mix in a bowl, and move on. Sprinkle dough's center with spices, herbs, and lemon juice, then place Roll out the pastry dough on parchment, then place the pork loin in a foil-lined baking pan, and cover with lemon juice, then sprinkle with spices and herbs. Place is 375° F oven for 45 minutes. a. Wash, drain, and snap off the ends toward the string side of the pods; b. Pull and remove the "string" of the pod; c. Open the pod and remove the beans; d. Blanch the beans: i. boil a pot of salted water (the salt keeps the beans green); ii. fill a large bowl with ice water (ice bath);

iii.

5.

6. 7.

Cook the beans for 1 minute, then use a skimmer or colander to remove from the heat and immediately drop them into the ice bath for 4-5 minutes, until completely cool; e. Shell the beans again (I never said this was a quick recipe). Break into the shell with your thumbnail, breaking through the shell and removing the "cap" at the top of the bean, then squeeze/push/pop the beans out of their shells. You'll pick up speed as you go along, finding your bean-shelling groove. Finally, you have workable beans. If you used canned, this is where you start following the recipe. Place the beans into a saucepan and heat over med-low heat. While they heat up, start mashing them using your potato masher, a wooden spoon, your husband's head – whatever works for you. You should get a thick, mostly smooth paste. If you want a silky smooth paste, you can always use a food processor at the end. I prefer the rustic texture. Add the garlic first, stirring constantly for about a minute. Still stirring, add the ricotta and olive oil, stirring well to blend. Finally, add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and the finely chopped fresh (or dry) thyme, rosemary, and dill, and remove from heat after two minutes. Adjust salt, pepper, and lemon juice if needed. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.

Use can put this out as an appetizer dish with some toasted naan or pita at room temperature, or you can make it into a heated platter, spreading it on toast, crackers, crostini, Melba, topped with the cheese of your choosing. We have a nice, fresh, sheep cheese with a bleu cheese rind called "Fresh with Ewe" that we picked up from this weekend from Port Madison Farm and Dairy that will work, if I freeze it before I try to slice it. That, or pick a firmer cheese (which I have – a sheep cheese with a bleu rind). The cheese that I'm using is a very tangy, raw goat cheese from Port Madison Farms, who don't appear to had a website at the moment, but I'm heading out for the Columbia City Farmers' Market in the Rainier Valley this afternoon, so I'll talk to the owner/animal husbandry expert from the farm tonight, and hopefully find a website. As soon as I do, I'll put a link in here. You all know that I love giving credit to the people who lovingly care for the plants and animals that we use for food. They are, however, on Facebook, at (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Port-MadisonFarms/152583648139050). They care so much for every animal on their farm, and I just love seeing anyone snuggling a baby goat. Who doesn't love goat kids? Okay, my little sister, but that was a petting zoo nightmare, so it doesn’t count. I hope everyone enjoys experimenting with this spread. If you don't like the herbs, come up with your own. Use it on freshly baked bed. Cheese, no cheese, whatever you like. It's a tasty and nutritious appetizer before a meal, for lunch, with or without company. Cooking is all about making something that makes your loved ones' eyes roll back in their heads, and this is an impressive dish. Ess, bench, sei a mensch, 'Zanne Rose © Zanne Winant and Zzyzx Road Kitchen, 2011 Reprint with permission from author @ [email protected]