The REAL FOOD recipe thread

[ducks4you]

Just made this last month. AND, DH will eat 'em even though he says that he doesn't like pork.

Crockpot Pork Chops with Vegetables (feeds four-five)
(about) 2 pounds pork chops, or pork blade steaks
4 potatoes
*1 pint canned tomatoes
*1/2 pint canned peaches or *1/2 pint canned pears
1 whole onion
2 pounds carrots
1 clove garlic
fresh ground pepper

Scrub potatoes. Leave skin on. 1/2 and place flat sides down in crockpot. Add pork. Cut ends and shave skins of carrots. Cut in large pieces and place on top of pork. Cut onion in 2-4 pieces and put in pot. Cut garlic in half and put into pot. Pour jar of tomatoes into pot. Pour jar of peaches or pears on top. Grind pepper on top. (Don't bother with salt--you don't need it for flavor.) Cook on low up to 8 hours. If you're going to gone longer, start really early in the day so that you can cook on High, then drop it down to Warm to finish. Serve with your favorite bread.

*I use tomatoes, peaches and pears in this recipe that I've canned myself.

 

[ducks4you]

If you're going to gone longer, start really early in the day so that you can cook on High, then drop it down to Warm to finish.

OOPS--fingers slipped.
Start early so you can cook for ONE HOUR on High, then drop it down to WARM. My crockpots like to burn things. You only have to cook the meat, anyway. The vegetables will flavor and soften, so WARM should do it if you're going to be away 12 hours.

 

[abifae]

*

 

[Wifezilla]

I have never put fruit in with my pork chops before. Interesting!

I season and brown pork chops and then put in a mushroom sauce of some sort. It is super easy. Hubby and I slowly worked our way through a crock pot full this weekend with a few small lunches Monday & Tuesday.

:burp:

Stock up alert. Big sales on cabbage and sweet potatoes lately. It is also a good time to get other squash before it disappears. The price on canned pumpkin is WAY up this year for some reason. $1.68/can instead of 99!!!

The turkey sales have started to show up, but instead of $4, $5, and $6, they are $6, $7 and $9. Grrrr. Oh well, still a really good deal when you figure out how much meat you get (less than 40/lb). Even better deal if you use the bones to make broth and soups.

 

[ducks4you]

You're right about canned pumpkin, BUT, here in IL there is an overabundance of pumpkins to buy. Before Halloween, we bought one at Aldi, about 18" diameter for $2.00/pumpkin. There is a pumpkin farm on the way home for us, and I hear that they're selling cheap, too. They're easy to can:
Cut into pieces. Scoop out seeds and "gunk"--save or bake seeds. Cut skin from pulp. Cook down, mash and can. Feed any leftovers to chickens, ducks or horses.

 

[Wifezilla]

I don't can. I usually stock up this time of year, but I wasn't expecting the price to go up so much.

 

[abifae]

*

 

[Ldychef2k]

Well, you could make your own. Except use shallots, thinly sliced and separated into rings, and use a very light batter. Don't mix them in to the casserole, just put them on top and bake.

 

[abifae]

*

 

[Ldychef2k]

I was actually thinking a seasoned flour. Don't know why I said batter, as that would overpower a shallot. Someone calls them "frizzled" shallots.