"Chopped Up" Apple Cider (curious? read on!)

 

Yesterday's lunch was another Total Local success story.

I know! 

It's a great feeling. I am proud to share the accomplishment with you in hopes that you will be inspired to design meals around what is local to your own area.

I had planned to make cider baked pork chops, but did not want to tie up the time involved for the baking. Because cider + pork is a marriage made in Heaven, I did not want to ditch the idea of a cider/ pork chop dish and  simply grill the chops. I put my brain cells to work and they came up with a new (for me) idea. 

I poached the pork chops in apple cider. The cider was fresh pressed from our own apples and the chops were from pigs raised by Russ and Mendy Sellman and purchased from their on-farm store, The Farmers Wife (see business page for information). 

When the chops were cooked and most of the cider reduced, I added a bit of oil to the pan and browned them up. Our meal included sauteed yellow squash, purchased at NorthSide Farmers Market, and fresh tomatoes from our garden. Dessert was pear pie, made by Mendy's dad, Dennis, served with milk from Hartzler's Dairy in Wooster and purchased at The Farmers Wife.

I gotta tell you, this "Sunday Dinner" meal was yummy, and it felt great to know that all the food except for the milk came from within a five mile radius of my house. The milk came from a dairy about an hour or so from here. 

Our garden was not the best this year. Thank goodness I live in an area that is full of dedicated market growers and that I have several opportunities a week to shop at farmers markets and/or stores like Russ and Mendy's. :)

Marcheta *living the good life