Turn Your Tantre & Old Pine Farm CSA Into Balsamic Braised Pork Steaks

Trying to figure out an efficient way to make use of your vegetable CSA (community supported agriculture) and meat CSA can seem daunting. You have all of these glorious vegetables and beautiful cuts of meat in your home and not a clue how to combine them into a palatable meal that your whole family will enjoy. Well this week for us... success! Using almost 100% local food we had balsamic braised pork steaks, along with, creamed greens, and mashed white beans and sweet potatoes.

ThreeBoys Balsamic Braised Pork Steak

Balsamic Braised Pork Steak: 
Adapted from Williams- Sonoma’s Quick Balsamic Pork Chops

Ingredients:

2 Pork Steaks about 1 inch thick (Old Pine Farm)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste (Eden Sea Salt)
1 Tbs. olive oil
4 bacon slices, diced (Old Pine Farm)
1 red onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick (Tantre Farm)
1 garlic clove, minced (Tanre Farm)
2 Tbs. firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme (Backyard)
1 cup chicken broth (Our Freezer which was made earlier in the year using veggies from our Tantre Farm CSA and Chickens from Two Creeks Organics)
2 tsp. apricot preserves (Made by me earlier this summer with local apricots)

Directions:

Season the pork steaks with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the pork steaks and sear, turning once, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. 

In the same pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat in the pan. 

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onion and partially cover the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is caramelized and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the brown sugar, vinegar, thyme and bacon. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the liquid is thickened and reduced by half, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the broth and apricot preserves and bring the sauce to a simmer. 

Return the steaks to the pan. Cook, uncovered, coating the steaks with the sauce, for 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through.

Creamed Kale and Rainbow Swiss Chard
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse’s: Creamed Spinach

Ingredients:
1 large bunch of fresh kale, washed and tough stems removed (Tantre Farm)
1 large bunch of fresh swiss chard, washed and tough stems removed (Tantre Farm)

Tantre Farm CSA: June

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (Calder Dairy)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onions (Tantre Farm)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (Tantre Farm)
3/4 teaspoon salt (Eden Sea Salt)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 cup half and half (Calder Dairy)


Directions:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the kale and swiss chard and cook for 3 minutes. Drain in a colander, pressing with a large spoon to release as much water as possible. Finely chop and set aside.
Melt the butter in medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the greens and cook, stirring, just until the liquid is released. Add the half and half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook until the half and half is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

*the kale and swiss chard can be substituted with almost any greens you get in your CSA. It always comes out tasting wonderful.

Mashed White Beans and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

Tantre Farm Tongue of Fire White Shelling Beans

2 lbs sweet potatoes, quartered (Tantre Farm.)
*I prefer to leave the skins on when making these potatoes but it is a matter of taste. If you prefer go ahead and peel them.

1 cup shelled, white shelling beans (Tantre Farm)
1 teaspoons salt (Eden Sea Salt)
4 tablespoons butter (Calder Dairy)
1/2-1 cup half and half (Calder Dairy)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Cook the beans and sweet potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, until very tender. Meanwhile, heat the butter and half-and-half in a small saucepan. When the sweet potatoes and beans are finished, drain and immediately place in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the hot half-and-half mixture, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Mix until the beans and sweet potatoes are mashed but not completely smooth. Serve hot.

What are some of your all time favorite local meals? I would LOVE to hear them!

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