Roast Pork on the Egg

Wines:

Domaine de la Vieille Julienne 2004 Cotes du Rhone
Kaesler Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2004
Sans Liege 2007 Cotes du Coast

Barbrix our new neighborhood restaurant has opened! Friday night we went to a Friends and Family Dinner and loved it! Perhaps we loved it a little too much because we both must have drunk a little too much and were not feeling that energetic on Sat. However, we pulled it together to cook a dinner using our Egg!
For those of you who know where we live, barbrix is right down the hill on Hyperion directly across from Baller Hardware.

Bea joined us and brought a fabulous wine. She also had been at barbrix. She also loved it.

We started with Nancy’s Chopped Salad. I love this salad! A 1960 staple that she has transformed! It is always on the menu at Pizzeria Mozza!

We Grilled a Herb-Crusted Pork Loin on the egg using the recipe from License to Grill by Chris Schlesinger, It was perfect! We really enjoyed it. The recipe can be found in our blog entry of: July 2, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

We made Potato-Parsnip Puree From the Food of Campanile by Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton. This is a very rich rendition of mashed potatoes. It also holds well over hot water, while the meat cooks. Try this one sometime it is great!

We finished up with a Brownie from Clementine. Boy does Annie make good desserts (and soups, and salads, etc.).

Recipe: Nancy's chopped salad
Los Angeles Times
March 11, 2009

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6

Oregano dressing

4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Roughly chop the garlic and then add the oregano, salt and pepper. Chop the mixture together and use the side of a knife or a mortar and pestle to make a grainy herb paste.

2. Transfer the paste to a large salad bowl, and add the lemon juice and vinegar. Mix with a fork, allowing the salt to dissolve, then add the oil and whisk with a fork until well combined. The dressing should be thick with garlic and oregano.
Salad and assembly


1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
1 red onion, peeled and sliced into fine rings
1/2 pound provolone, sliced 1/4 -inch thick then cut into 1/2 -inch ribbons
1/2 pound salami, peeled, sliced 1/4 -inch thick then cut into 1/2 -inch ribbons
4 medium or 8 small pickled pepperoncini, sliced into rings
3/4 pound cherry tomatoes
Sea salt
1 head iceberg lettuce, cored, and cut in ribbons 1/4 - to 1/2 -inch wide
1 head radicchio, cored and cut in ribbons 1/4 - to 1/2 -inch wide
2 tablespoons dried oregano for garnish (optional, preferably Sicilian or Turkish)

1. Gently fold the chickpeas, red onion, provolone, salami, pepperoncini (including seeds and juice) into the dressing, one at a time. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Set aside until ready to serve.

2. When ready to serve, gently add the tomatoes, lettuce and radicchio to the salad bowl, along with a couple of generous pinches of oregano, and toss to combine with the dressing. Serve immediately.

Potato-Parsnip Puree
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From the Food of Campanile Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton

Serves 6 to 8

2 large russet potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and quartered
4 large parsnips (1 ½ pounds), peeled and quartered
8 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup heavy cream
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Kosher salt

In this dish, the poor, unappreciated, underrated parsnip gets a chance to shine this is a variation on mashed potatoes, but the flavor is sweet and earthy with the essence of parsnips and a real suggestion of autumn. At Campanile, this dish could also accompany roast beef to add a little something new to a delicious traditional cold weather dinner. This can be prepared earlier in the day and warmed in a double boiler when needed.


In a large stockpot, bring approximately 2 quarts of water to a boil. Using a vegetable steamer, steam the potatoes, parsnips, and garlic over medium-high heat until very tender, about 20 minutes. In a medium saucepan, over high heat, scald the cream, about 2 minutes. Add the butter, remove the pan from the heat, and stir the butter in as it melts, about 1 minute. Using a food mill, electric mixer, or a potato masher (but not a food processor), puree the potatoes, parsnips, and garlic into a large mix¬ing bowl. Fold in the melted butter and cream to give the puree a smooth texture. Season to taste with kosher salt. Keep warm in a double boiler until needed.