Simple Summer Dinner - Grilled Peaches and Pork Chops

             {Photo by: Randy Mayor}

When you live where it is 95 degrees on the very first day of June the idea of rushing home from work to slave in a hot kitchen is less than appealing.  But, when your a self-admitted food snob like myself you still want to eat something super yummy just minus the heat.  This most often means that Hubs and I will sip a cool beverage of choice {last night it was an Italian Orvieto} have a some nuts or olives and wait for the insane scorching sun to turn to dusk and then fire up the grill{charcoal of course!} and so it went last night but I wanted something a little sassy so after taking stock of what I had on hand I decided to make grilled peaches and pork chops over a light salad of fresh baby greens and red cabbage.  This dish was a perfect summer meal that required minimal prep and no cooking beyond the salad was done in my house!....and could be adjusted like I did to feed two or to feed a crowd.....Winner!

Ingredients:
2 bone in porch chops
2 peaches cut in halve and pits removed
2 Tbls good balsamic vinegar (divided)
Dash of olive oil
1 Tbls lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Wrap porch loosely in plastic wrap and give it a good beating to make it thinner...I use a sophisticated can of Campbell's soup for this ;) Mix together 1 tbl. balsamic, oil, lime juice, thyme, salt and pepper and then pour over pork chops in a plastic bag, let sit in fridge for about an hour.  Pour the remaining balsamic over the cut peach halves. After marinating these items are ready for the grill.  About 5 minutes per side on the pork (if using boneless this will probably be 3 or so) and about the same or a little less for the peaches is fine depending on how you like the texture.

While the pork marinates make a salad (the picture is arugula but I used baby greens and shredded some red cabbage because that is what I had on hand) I simply whisked some balsamic into some olive oil with salt, pepper and thyme to taste added the salad and mixed with my hands.

When ready to serve plate the salad (I sprinkled some fresh farmer cheese on it at this point) Pork chop to the side and slice the peaches to add on top. Bon appetite!

{Recipe adapted from a June 2005 edition of cooking light}

I heart food....

Part of leading a Vintage Chic life to me means making real food for your family with real ingredients.  People who know me know that I heart food in a slightly obessive way.  When I first get my new calender in January I go through and mark everysingle second saturday of the month as Farmer's Market Day.  I can shop farmfresh handmade cheese like a socialite shops handbags.  One day while searching for a recipe for a friend's birthday cake I came across a blog Annie's Eats that has become a go to for me when I am looking for something fun and different to make.   I now visit this site weekly and usually call my sissy to dish about the yummiest looking recipes to which I can count on her saying.... "thanks alot, that recipe is making my inner fat kid want to come out."  Lucky for those I shared these fab soft pretzels with I let my inner fat kid out...well for the night anyways...

For recipe scroll down and make sure to check out the rest of her blog!

http://annies-eats.com/2009/08/24/summer-fun-and-games-night/

Photographed in a great 1960's milkglass bowl I came across at a UK charity shop

Rectory Tables and Giant Apples oh my!....

We are heading home to the states for visit next week (so excited!!!) and in all the preparations that go along with that, things have been pretty crazy. However, yesterday I had the chance to sneak away for a couple of hours and hit up a riverside antique's show under the guise of helping our friend Mr. S pick out a birthday gift for Ms. S. As soon as we arrived I dropped Mr. S like a hot potato and made a b-line for this table...its a very old pine rectory table...which incidentally...I heart super big time! The table is put together with pegs and the base is painted a lovely aged french grey while the top is a gorgeous pine with the greatest patina. In short...I want this table...I feel like I am cheating on the bookcase I have been saving up for and that makes me feel a little guilty..but only a little. The show runs until Sunday and poor hubs has no idea that I am going to drag him there and ambush him.

When I got home yesterday afternoon I needed to pick some apples from the cooker tree for apple pies for a little bash we are having this afternoon. I am happy to announce that I almost certainly pretty sure just maybe might have grown the biggest apple in the UK this fall. This thing is ridiculous! I popped it on my pink kitchen scale and it weighs 2lbs! So I'm off to make my apple pie using 1 apple......1 big ass apple :)

Home Grown Maters

(Photo from Real Simple)

Hubs and I are all about some home grown tomatoes. Growing up in the south summertime tomato growing and eating is kind of a religion. Fresh off the vine with some salt and pepper...delish! When we were married the hubs introduced me to the Blue Dogs and when we lived in Charleston we tried to go and see them whenever we could. And while Mozart they are not they are always fun and one of my favorite songs that they sing is "Home Grown Tomatoes".

Watch The Blue Dogs singing Home Grown Tomatoes in Live Events & Specia | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

To me that song just oozes summer and sadly...I think that on the 31st of August summer here in the UK is officially over! Its time to break out the rain gear, wellingtons and fleeces :( but before I completely pack it in we are enjoying the last of the summer produce and have been eating as many tomatoes as we can get our hands on. I actually "grew" tomatoes here...well tried as almost all are still green we enjoyed some fried green tomatoes this week. I also made a really tasty and simple Panzanella http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzanella with some heirloom maters from the farmers market.

Panzanella

Salad

3 tbl Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Good Leftover French Bread (or whatever you have)

Quality tomatoes (4, 5 cherry? anything goes)

Cucumber

Red bell pepper

Red onion

Basil, Cilantro or Parsley(whatever you have on hand)

Vinaigrette

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. Dijon Mustard

3 tbl. champagne vinegar or white wine

1/2 cup good olive oil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

The key to the salad is you want all the ingredients to be the roughly the same size and in the same quantities so chop it how you like it. I go for everything about an inch big. Take the bread cubes and toss with olive oil salt and pepper to taste then toast up in a hot skillet until they are lightly browned. From there its just tossing all the ingredients together and adding the vinaigrette until just everything is lightly coated even the bread eat it pretty soon. You want the bread to soak up some dressing but waiting to long makes it too soggy.

When I'm cooking I tend not to follow recipes exactly or list exact measurements. That's because I like to use what I have and taste as I go. This has become my go to summer salad when I can get my hands on good tomatoes although I don't think its a big helper for the waistline since you basically substitute hunks of toasted bread for salad leaves.... oh well! C'est la vie and bon appe'tit!