Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Our trip to the Farmer's Market

One of the things I love about moving back to Hollywood (FL) is getting to visit my old haunts. This weekend, I talked Joe into going to Josh's Organic Market with me. If you're local- go there! Years ago, I used to go to Josh's when it was located in Downtown Hollywood. Now, he has relocated to Hollywood Beach. The market is set up every Sunday. What a variety!! I picked up baby bok choy, broccoli, zuchinni, snow peas, and green chard. I gave the chard to my mom and thought about what I could make with my lovely veggies. As luck would have it, I was sick on Sunday, so I didn't get to cook them until last night.

I decided to make veggie stir fry. First, I cut up all my veggies into bite sized pieces. I heated 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil over hight heat in my wok. I tossed in 3 minced cloves of garlic and about 1 Tbsp. of minced ginger. I let them cook for about 2 minutes, then pulled them out so that they would not burn. This was just to flavor the oil. I was out of garlic oil, but if I had some, I would have skipped this step. I then added an additional Tbsp. of vegetable oil and an onion that I had diced. I let the onion cook until it was translucent (but not brown) then added the prepared veggies. I let them cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. I then added a cup of chicken broth and let the veggies cook for about 5 minutes. During this time, I mixed together 1 Tbsp. Soy sauce with 2 tsp. water and 1 tsp. flour. I would have used cornstarch, but I was out. I whisked the flour mixture into the wok and cooked the veggies for another minute or so until they were done. They were perfectly crispy.

Although the thought of all these veggies made me VERY happy, I knew we (read: Joe) would need some protein. I had defrosted a few thin boneless pork chops overnight. I seasoned each side with salt and pepper, then rubbed Dijon mustard onto each side. The chops got a quick sear on each side in a hot pan with 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil. I cut the chops into bite sized pieces and put them back into the pan to brown. I served the pork over the vegetables.

Joe was never big on vegetables. He never understood "side dishes." To him, all he needed was a thick steak, and maybe some potatoes. So, when he likes a dish that's 85% veggies, you know it's good. I really, really liked our dinner last night. The sauce was simple, allowing the freshness of the vegetables to shine through. I think I've made a believer out of Joe. Bring on the vegetables!

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