Ingredient: apples, cut into 8 wedges each

Roast Pork with Apples & Prunes

Although prunes sometimes get a bad rap, the salty nature of pork and the sweetness of apples and prunes combined is excellent.

The Italian Prune Plum also known as European Plums are free stone and most readily grown for prune production. Their ability to create a high concentration of fermentable sugars not only makes them the ideal candidate for drying but also for making preserves, wine and brandy.

Native to the Mediterranean coastal regions of Italy, Italian prune plums thrive in arid climates. Even though plums adapt to a wide variety of growing regions, they require minimal humidity and rainfall to prevent disease and encourage fruit development during their growing season.

Oddly enough, all prunes are plums but not all plums are prunes. Prune plum varieties have a very high sugar content which enables them to be dried without fermenting while still containing their pits.

This is a nice meal to serve over quinoa along with roasted acorn squash and brussel sprouts.

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 Roast Pork with Apples & Prunes
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a saucepan, brown onions & tenderloin in hot oil for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Combine BBQ sauce, apple juice & thyme; pour over meat & onions. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
  2. Bake for about 30 minutes. Add apples & prunes & bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. or until pork & apples are tender.

Oven Roasted Squash with Apples & Onions

Being one who appreciates both roasted vegetables and the origins of things, I was curious as to when roasting vegetables became a ‘thing’. 

The presence of a platter of blistered carrots and parsnips on our dinner table is happily commonplace these days. However, this was not always the case.

Restaurant chefs have forever roasted vegetables for certain preparations, especially classics like roasted plum tomato sauce and charred red peppers for antipasto.

Dry-heat cooking in an oven has traditionally been associated with meat, poultry and game. Roasting other foods like fish, vegetables and fruit seals in and intensifies flavors, imparts an attractive burnish and often uses less ‘fat’ than other cooking methods. The use of ‘professional’ quality sheet pans, roasting pans and ovenproof skillets is best for such roasting.

This roasting technique came into vogue in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Clearly, roasting is the only way to treat vegetables. The taste is legitimately superior to older techniques in almost all cases as it concentrates and enhances via caramelization. So, it begs the question, why did it take so long to become the default vegetable cooking technique? A lingering preference for boiled, steamed and sauteed veggies seems to be the main reason. Although technology has not changed that much in several decades, sensibilities regarding how certain foods should be prepared have shifted greatly. The days of limp, tasteless, boiled vegetables are gone!

This simple recipe is one Brion and I enjoy often.

Print Recipe
 Oven Roasted Squash with Apples & Onions
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, European, German
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, European, German
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix dressing, sugar & rosemary. Toss apples, squash & onions in dressing mixture. Spread on baking sheet. Bake about 20-30 minutes until tender & caramelized.