Category Archives: pork

Crispy Pork with Rhubarb Sauce

7 July 2011 by local kitchen

As if rhubarbaritas weren’t reason enough, I’m here to give you another excuse for squirreling away as much seasonal rhubarb as you can get your paws on: Crispy Pork with Rhubarb Sauce. The recipe was somewhat loosely adapted from this one by Jamie Oliver, who, now that I have made two of his recipes, I am declaring a genius: this dish is that good. A not-very-exciting cut of pork (he used pork belly, while I had a pound of Flying […]

Categories: herbs, lettuce, main course, pork, rhubarb, scallions, spring, summer, year round • Tags: chicken, cooking, food, jamie oliver, local, pork, recipes, rhubarb

Bite-Sized Spaghetti Nests with Chard & Bacon

24 June 2011 by local kitchen

I’ve been participating in an informal food photography contest for a couple of months now on professional food photographer Dario Milano’s blog Food Pixels. Our growing crew of bloggers, photographers and foodniks is pretty talented and it’s always interesting to see how different people interpret each ‘assignment.’ The latest contest challenge is “spaghetti:” a broad topic to be sure, but also an interesting photographic challenge, as most spaghetti dishes are messy, saucy, ultra-casual. Since for the last assignment (“brown food“) I […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, cheese, holiday, kale & leafy greens, oregano, pasta, pork, year round • Tags: appetizers, bacon, cooking, food, greens, local, pasta, recipes

Use It or Lose It! Meyer Lemon Pork Rolls

10 May 2011 by local kitchen

Earlier this year, when I was busily turning winter’s citrus into marmalades and jams, I lamented to Shae that I was a bit disappointed with my first foray into Meyer lemons. “I mean, they are nice enough,” I said, “but I don’t really see what all the fuss is about. I keep thinking I would like them better if they were more, well, lemony.” Shae responded that Meyers are quite soft-skinned and not as hardy as other citrus fruits, so they lose […]

Categories: citrus, main course, pork, spring, Use it or Lose it!, winter, year round • Tags: cooking, dinner, food, local, main course, pork, recipes

White Bean Pesto Pizza with Linguica & Garlicky Kale

25 April 2011 by local kitchen

When I soaked the cannellini beans for pasta e fagioli last week, I used a whole pound, not thinking about quite how big runner cannellinis get (they are huge once soaked, up to 1 inch long!). I used only half a pound in the soup, so I had a lot of cooked cannellinis in the fridge, waiting for their day in the sun. I don’t know when I first thought of a pizza. I was musing on the idea of […]

Categories: beans, garlic, grains & legumes, heirloom beans, kale & leafy greens, main course, pizza, pork, sausage, spring, whole wheat flour, year round • Tags: beans, cooking, food, local, pizza, recipes

Christmas Limas with Seared Pork Cutlets and Fresh Apple Relish

24 March 2011 by local kitchen

It’s just a week shy of April, yet temps hover near freezing and the snow still flutters down to add to the 3 – 4 inches that accumulated over night. So, as much as I want to be noshing on crisp pea shoots, chive blossoms, pungent ramps and mild green garlic, it seems that Mother Nature is conspiring against me. Have you had Christmas lima beans? They are big, meaty beans with a firm texture and a flavor of chestnuts. As wintry as […]

Categories: apples, beans, heirloom beans, kale & leafy greens, main course, pork, spring, winter • Tags: cooking, food, local, main course, recipes, winter

Cajun Sausage & Flageolet Stew

27 January 2011 by local kitchen

Because clearly what this blog needs is another stew recipe. And I don’t have enough to say about heirloom beans. Because my personal Spice Rack Challenge is to use the free sample spice mixes from Penzey’s for something other than pumpkin seeds. Because I haven’t been to the farmer’s market in three weeks and I’m down to one lonely carrot, 4 pumpkins and a few Trader Joe’s onions (she hangs her locavore head in shame) in the kitchen larder. Or maybe […]

Categories: beans, heirloom beans, main course, pork, sausage, stew, tomatoes, winter, year round • Tags: Cajun, cooking, flageolet, food, local, main course, recipes, sausage, stew

Dark Days: Crispy Baked Potato Skins

25 January 2011 by local kitchen

So, I hear that some large men in tights are going to be chasing a pointy ball around a grid-ironed field in a couple of weeks. Or at least, that seems to be what is going on in between the important parts: the commercials. If you, like most of America, are planning to gather with friends, watch commercials, keep a weather eye peeled for wardrobe malfunctions, and occasionally attest loudly that the team closest to your geographical region is much better than the losers on the other side of […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, cheese, Dark Days Local, fall, pork, potato, roasting, sausage, vegetarian, winter, year round • Tags: appetizer, cooking, food, local, potato, recipes, super bowl

Vaquero Bean & Chorizo Stew

6 January 2011 by local kitchen

Vaquero beans are so beautiful, I wish I had photographed some for you before I soaked them. They do, however, maintain their lovely markings even after cooking, along with their shape and a toothsome texture. This is a pretty classic bean stew: tomatoes, sausage, aromatic vegetables and a little cilantro or parsley to finish things off. Truly, any bean will work in this recipe, so why not take the opportunity to explore an heirloom varitety that you’ve never tasted? Rancho […]

Categories: 100% local, beans, heirloom beans, main course, pork, sausage, stew, tomatoes, winter, year round • Tags: beans, chorizo, cooking, food, local, main course, pork, recipes, sausage, stew, tomatoes, winter

Locavirgin: Roasted Cauliflower with Bacon

27 November 2010 by local kitchen

So, you get it right, the way this blog works? Every other cooking blog on the planet regales you with Thanksgiving recipes in the weeks prior to the event. Bah, I say. Humbug! Now that everyone else is featuring turkey tacos, turkey tamales and turkey tettrazini, I’ll give you… Thanksgiving dishes! The ones that were on my table. Because, you know that I love to test recipes on the fly (and making any of my Thanksgiving recipes in advance would […]

Categories: 100% local, cauliflower, fall, holiday, Locavirgin, pork, roasting, side dish, winter • Tags: bacon, cauliflower, cooking, fall, food, local, quick & easy, recipes, side dishes

Herbed Bacon Cheddar Quiche

10 September 2010 by local kitchen

I’ve made quiche a couple of times in recents weeks, having been gifted with some of Julia’s delicious backyard eggs, and wanting to do something a little more special with them than scrambling (although I’m here to report that Julia’s backyard eggs scrambled with my backdeck chives = heaven). I’ve been surprised by how easy quiche is: I’ve always thought of it as a bit fussy, a bit fancy. In reality, quiche is simply an omelet baked in a pie crust, as fancy or […]

Categories: 100% local, basil, breakfast, cheese, chives, main course, pork, whole wheat flour, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes

Chipotle Bacon Caramels

29 July 2010 by local kitchen

With all these zucchini, eggplant, scallions and cukes to deal with, it seems more than a little ludricrous to be making candy right now. Not to mention that standing over a pot of boiling sugar in the height of summer is not what everyone would choose to do. Then again, I’m known for my less-than-conventional decisions, not to mention my ludicrousness (ludicrosity?). And sometimes a girl just needs bacon. And candy. Or bacon candy. I know what you’re thinking; bacon […]

Categories: candy, dessert, pork, year round • Tags: bacon, caramel, chipotle, cooking, dessert, food, homemade candy, local, pork, recipes

Traditional Pork Chile Verde

4 June 2010 by local kitchen

Summer is in full swing here in New York and while it doesn’t seem like you would want a pot bubbling on the stovetop for hours, Chile Verde always strikes me as a quintessential summer dish: bought at a roadside stand in some dusty, hot, Mexican town on the way from one surf spot to another, ladeled into piping hot, homemade tortillas and liberally sprinkled with fresh cilantro. Heaven. This version is nearly as good (although the lack of surfing-inspired appetite may […]

Categories: 100% local, cilantro, pork, stew, summer, tomatillos, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, pork, recipes

Memorial Day Grillfest

28 May 2010 by local kitchen

I have a fabulous braised chicken recipe to tell you about, but really? Who’s going to be braising this weekend? Memorial Day weekend is all about the grill, baby: easy-peasy, flip-flop wearing, cold beer in hand, 2-minutes-a-side-and-dinner-is-done kind of cooking. So, in honor of the holiday weekend, the 88(!) degree weather predicted on Sunday, and the annual kick-off to Summer (and all the fabulous grilling that comes with the season), I present to you Local Kitchen Grillfest 2010. A couple […]

Categories: 100% local, chicken, corn, grill, pork, potato, summer • Tags: chicken, cooking, food, local, pork, quick & easy, recipes

Fresh Favas with Bacon & Almonds

18 May 2010 by local kitchen

Inspired by the bounty found at the Ferry Market in San Francisco, this savory bean spread with local olive oil, balsamic, almonds and lemon was a rare treat for this Northeast locavore. The raves it garnered at our Saturday night dinner party suggests that it was a treat for some San Franciscans as well. The combination of flavors (fresh green beans, smoky bacon, bitter almonds, tart & brigh lemon) and textures (crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside fried […]

Categories: 100% local, appetizer, beans, citrus, pork, spring • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes

Cider-Brined Pork Chops on the Grill

2 May 2010 by local kitchen

I’m a 40 (something) year-old virgin: a brining virgin, that is. A neophyte. A gumby. A noob. Well, I was until yesterday. Yesterday, in celebration of the truly summer-like weather, I popped my brining cherry on some ridiculously thick pork chops that were destined for the grill. Despite all the hype, I’ve (obviously) never gotten on the brining bandwagon. I have always felt that if you are taking the trouble to buy the best meat you can find, heritage-breed, pastured, humanely-raised & […]

Categories: brining, fall, grill, main course, pork, summer, techniques, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, pork, recipes