Cats, Sheep, & Penguins

After an unseasonably warm and humid beginning, the Autumn cold has finally arrived; last night we lit the first fire of the season in our hearth. It finally feels right to think about apple picking, pumpkin carving, hot chocolate and mulled wine. The beginning of Autumn also heralds an onslaught of savory cold weather delights; nothing fights the chill like a hearty soup, stew, or pie. This is one of our favorite recipes, and the perfect time of year to cook it.

More than one person has balked at the thought of mixing chicken stock with apple cider, but I have yet to receive any complaints from any who have tasted it. I begin with one quart of each, add some white wine, seasonal spices (cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom), and reduce this to two cups. The result is an unbelievable, mouth-watering, autumnal gravy which does a superb job of blending ingredients.

Setting aside the sauce, I sautéed onion, carrot, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, and turkey bacon in olive oil until the veggies were mushy. Tossing that aside, I used the same pan to brown a pound of floured turkey cubes, then added the veggies, and finally the sauce. The extra flour from the turkey mixes with the cider-broth and makes a nice thick gravy. Once the filling cooled a bit, I wrapped it in a pie shell and baked until golden brown (45@350˚).

This is one of those dishes that tastes great just out of the oven, but only gets better as the flavors blend together over time. The leftovers won’t make it past Tuesday.

The pork is done, long live the pork! We used the last of my Chinese pork to make another batch of pork fried rice; since we were too hungry to take pictures last time, we made sure to grab some shots tonight. I admit it’s not the prettiest dish I make, and we could have styled it better if we took more time– the trouble is it’s so darn tasty.

We bought about five pounds of country style (fatty) pork and slow grilled it with a Chinese BBQ sauce (Honey, Hoisin, Soy, & Sherry). These shots are from the last night, tonight we’re making pork fried rice , and I expect to use the leftovers for a stir fry.

The other white meat…

This was a lovely rub with lots of organic garlic, pepper, Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt, and a fresh herb “poultry mix.” Left to sit in the fridge for several hours, and then warmed up to room temperature before grilling. Served with fresh garlic bread (also grilled). I would definitely order this again in a restaurant.