Pork & Asparagus Stir Fry

I loved that this was a veggie-loaded dish. Other members of my family may have complained that they wished it had more meat. 😉 Everyone enjoyed it!

I used asparagus combined with farm stand sugar snap peas and my CSA garlic scapes and bunching broccoli. Any crisp vegetable could be incorporated. We ate it over rice drizzled with Sriracha to add extra heat- perfect.

This Sichuan-inspired stir-fry recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Deb Perelman.

Yield: 4 servings

• 1 to 2 T peanut or vegetable oil, divided (I used 6 teaspoons)
• 2+ lbs crispy green vegetables (I used 1 lb asparagus, trimmed, cut on a diagonal into 1″–2″ pieces with 1 lb bunching broccoli, cut into 2″ pieces, and 2 cups sugar snaps)
• 8 oz ground pork
• pinch or dash of red pepper flakes, optional
• 4 to 6 scallions, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped
• 2 garlic scapes, finely chopped, optional
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 2″ piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
• 2 T Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or medium-dry sherry
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• white or brown rice, cooked, for serving
• store-bought chili crisp or sriracha, for serving, optional

1. Heat 1 or 2 teaspoons of peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high. (I used a 14-inch stainless steel skillet.)
2. Once pan is hot (oil will be lightly smoking), add half of the vegetables and a couple pinches of salt and cook, tossing only once or twice so the pieces have a chance to blister, until crisp-tender and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add another 1 or 2 teaspoons of peanut oil to skillet (no need to wipe it out) and repeat process with remaining vegetables.
3. Reduce heat to medium-high; add remaining 1 or 2 teaspoons of peanut oil to skillet, then add pork, spreading out into an even layer. Season with a couple pinches of salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired. Cook, undisturbed, until meat begins to brown underneath, about 2 minutes.
4. Break up meat with a wooden spoon and add scallions, garlic scapes (if using), garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until pork is crisp and mixture is very fragrant, about 2 minutes. (I used a mini-food processor to finely chop the scallions, garlic, garlic scapes, and ginger.)
5. Add wine and soy sauce and return the vegetable to the skillet. Cook, turning to coat with pork mixture, until heated through, about 1 minute.
6. Transfer stir-fry to a platter or large shallow bowl and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve with rice and hot sauce.

Tacos with Shrimp in Chipotle Sauce (Camerones Enchipotlados)

These tacos were quite spicy, but the heat was easily counteracted by the mild toppings. The smoky heat from chipotle chilies is one of my absolute favorite flavors.

This dish was very quick to prepare. The recipe was adapted from Milk Street: The New Home Cooking by Christopher Kimball. (my last one to share… for now 🙂 ) I increased the amount of garlic and incorporated my CSA garlic scapes. We ate the shrimp filling in warm, soft corn tortillas topped with avocado, fresh cilantro, and sour cream. Perfect with refried beans on the side.

Yield: Serves 4

• 4 vine-ripened tomatoes (1 1/4 pounds), quartered
• 4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, with sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 T olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds extra-large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed and patted dry
• 4 T lime juice, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, plus 2 garlic scapes, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, plus more to serve
• 8 to 10 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
• diced or sliced avocado, sour cream, and lime wedges, for serving

1. In a food processor, pulse the tomatoes, chiles, and any sauce coating the chiles, with 3/4 tsp salt until mostly smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.
2. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat 2 T of the oil until beginning to smoke. Add half of the shrimp and cook, stirring, until golden, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Repeat with the remaining shrimp, adding them to the bowl.
4. Toss shrimp with 2 T of the lime juice. Set aside.
5. Return the skillet to medium-high and add the remaining 2 T of oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and oregano and cook until just beginning to brown, 1 minute.
7. Stir in the wine and any accumulated shrimp juice from the bowl. Cook until liquid is nearly evaporated.
8. Add the chipotle mixture and simmer, stirring, until thick enough to coat a spoon, 10 to 12 minutes.
9. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the shrimp, cover and let sit until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes.
10. Stir in the cilantro and remaining lime juice. Adjust seasonings as necessary.
11. Serve with warmed tortillas, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, and lime wedges.

Seared Pork Chops with Garlic Scape Chimichurri

My weekly farm share is such a pleasure in my life. Everything is so beautiful and fresh. I love it! This time of year we receive garlic scapes- the curled flower top of a hardneck garlic plant. They have a more mild garlic flavor than the cloves- so seasonal, special, and delicious!

In the past, I have used garlic scapes in pesto, finely chopped and mixed into mashed red potatoes, and finely chopped into salads. This dish- by far- is my favorite application. I originally made this dish a few years ago and had been unable to relocate the recipe; this year I devoted a chunk of time to dig around for it. So happy to have it back in my life! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from the New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. The original sauce recipe uses green garlic- immature garlic which is pulled when growers are thinning crops. Green Garlic has more mild flavor than the cloves as well, but stronger flavor than garlic scapes.  I included the amount suggested for both in the recipe below. I’m a little late but I’m bringing this amazing dish to the party – FF#22!! Great!

• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons chopped mint, optional (I substituted 2 additional tablespoons of chopped chives)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic chives or regular chives
• 4 to 6 thinly sliced garlic scapes or 2 tablespoons finely chopped green garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon chile flakes
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 5 one-inch thick center cut boneless pork loin chops
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.
Combine the herbs, garlic scapes (or green garlic), lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and chile flakes. Stir in 1/2 cup oil. (I used a mini-food processor.)
2.
Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and reduce heat to medium-high. Add the pork and cook without moving, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until meat is just cooked through, about 3 minutes more (to 140 degrees). Let rest 5 minutes before serving, topped with chimichurri.

One Year Ago:

• Cheesy Mushroom Crostini on Boston Lettuce