Recipes – Page 2 – Peach and the Willow

“That Calls for a Celebration!” A Modern Day Tea Party

February 14, 2017February 28, 2017Sabrina Pflug | Peach and the WillowLeave a comment

CHEERS!.jpg

So your kid went pee-pee in the potty for the first time? Let’s Celebrate! Your pups got a clean bill of health at the vet? Let’s Celebrate! Your rude co-worker didn’t give you the stink eye in the hall today? Let’s Totally Celebrate! Point is, it really doesn’t take much to whip me into a frenzy and pop a cork in celebration. But with the one year anniversary of my blog approaching, I knew I wanted to do something a little over the top to commemorate the occasion. Soooo… (pronounced long and drawn out…very southern-like), being the self proclaimed prissy pants that I am and having never shied away from anything girly or glamorous, I decided to throw a tea party…but not just any garden variety tea party. A modern day Marie Antoinette style tea party where there is, in fact, no tea, only champagne, and plenty of delectable treats on which to feast your eyes and tickle your taste buds. Since the party was to occur just before Valentines Day, I made it a “Galentines Day” affair and invited a few girlfriends, making it the most fabulous, frolicky, gorgeous party I’ve thrown in a very long time! Friends came dressed to the hilt and we spent Friday afternoon laughing, loving, sharing, being a little serious and a tad silly! I’m guessing Marie Antoinette would have felt right at home! Continue reading →

When Life Gives You Muscadines…Make Jelly!!! (Duh.)

October 11, 2016Sabrina Pflug | Peach and the Willow1 Comment

The last time I was at Gloucester Vineyards, it was the end of the Muscadine harvest. The stately rows of grape leaves had begun to yellow, crisp and scorch; some falling from the vine; exposing the last of the season’s most syrupy fruit to ripen and raisin in the Indian summer sun. I consumed all the ripe grapes my stomach could bear…just standing there and “grazing” as we call it. It was only when I could simply eat no more that my dad and I began picking fruit for my jelly making…about 40 lbs in all, I’d say; enough fruit for about 30 pints of jelly. I know I’m biased…but there is no better jelly than Muscadine. Don’t even try and sway me…nope…it’s the “end all- be all” of homemade jelly. And just when you think you’ve reached the pinnacle of taste bud satisfaction with the perfect bite of homemade buttered biscuit smeared with Muscadine jelly, try cooking with it!…As in Muscadine Jelly Baked Ham!!!! Eyes roll back, I tell you. Eyes roll back…

muscadines — Black and Bronze Muscadines…washed and ready to hit the stove (or pop in your mouth!)

muscadines-cooking — Cooking the grapes releases the juice

muscadines-popping-and-releasing-juice — The grapes pop and break down when cooked on medium high heat…releasing their syrupy juice

straining-the-muscadine-juice — Strain the juice from the cooked grapes

muscadine-juice-with-pectin-and-sugar — Muscadine juice, sugar and pectin…back on the heat

rapid-boiling-point — Jelly is almost done when it reaches a rapid boil

muscadine-jelly — Voila! The beautiful color comes from the muscadine skin…just those few black grapes thrown in provided this perfect pink!…no food color added!

jars-of-muscadine-heaven — Plenty Muscadine Jelly to share!

the-perfect-mascadine-jelly-bite — One decadent bite! A flakey, buttery, buttermilk biscuit glistening with Muscadine Jelly

Interested in making your own stash of Muscadine Jelly but can’t find the fruit locally? Send me a message and I’ll tell you how you can have muscadines sent to your doorstep next season. Cheers!!!

Summer’s Perfect “Send Off” Meal ~ Panko Encrusted Swordfish with Southern Field Pea Relish

September 7, 2016September 7, 2016Sabrina Pflug | Peach and the Willow2 Comments

Still reeling from a sun and fun filled Labor Day Weekend on Smith Lake with friends, my mind keeps nagging me that our frolicking days of summer will soon dim into the short, crisp days of fall. My heart actually grimaces a little when I consider that very soon, summer vegetables like our beloved tomato, will disappear from the farmers market and be replaced by it’s boring cousin…the dull and lifeless grocery store variety shipped from God knows where. And then there’s the disappearing field peas and sweet corn that my family and I have lapped up all summer long with great enthusiasm. Yes…I “put up” a few bags of peas and tomatoes in the freezer…but who am I kidding? Those will be consumed by the end of September! So what is left to do but embrace the fact that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the changing colors of a Tennessee fall and all its beauty…that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, football season with tailgates and boiled peanuts and “football food”!…and that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the baked goods and holiday fare that I will soon be preparing and enjoying with wild abandon?!!! There! Done. I feel better.

But before I start carving a pumpkin or making a spice cake, I must share with you a meal that I served for a couple dinner parties over the summer. The first time I made Panko Encrusted Swordfish with Southern Field Pea Relish, we had just returned from Gloucester Vineyards (my childhood home), with a bushel or so of freshly shelled White Acre field peas. I had employed my son and husband, along with mom and dad, to help me shell the said peas, thinking it would be fun for all of us to sit in rocking chairs beneath my parents’ covered porch and talk while the whippoorwills sang us a pretty melody, just like I remember as a child. Hahaha! For two city boys, the talking and bird listening was great…but the shelling? The finger blisters? The slow moving pace of the peas falling into a large, seemingly bottomless bowl? LOL!!! But for me? Sheer bliss. It reminded me of a sweet time…a slower time…a time before cyber space and social media check in’s…and it was heaven. And I knew those peas would taste better for the effort. Growing up, I really don’t think we enjoyed a Sunday lunch without peas making an appearance at the table. We never tired of them…ever! And my grandma Berta, being the saint that she was, made sure she froze enough peas to get us through all of winter’s Sunday lunches! Glory be!!! They were always served in a pretty painted flower laced bowl with bits of salted pork swimming in the broth. Occasionally, and especially in the summer when okra was fresh, a few pods would have been placed atop the boiling peas to add their own earthy flavor to the mix. These days, when summer tomatoes are at their peak, I enjoy peas alongside freshly cut ‘maters with sea salt and bits of crumbled bacon. Talk about the ultimate main course salad!

I make my peas very simply…start with enough water so that when peas are added (you can buy frozen peas at your local grocery…they’re quite good!) they will only be slightly covered by water. Now add your salt pork…you can use smoked jowl, bacon, country ham…whatever you have available. I usually use about 8 ounces of smoked pork and I allow the pork to boil for about 10 minutes before I place the peas in the boiling water. Add peas and return to a boil…now taste. The water will not be salty enough…even with the salt pork. So begin with teaspoon increments and add salt to the peas, water and pork. Continue to taste until desired saltiness, being careful not to over season. The salt from pork will continue to be released as you cook. Continue cooking on medium for 30 – 45 minutes. This beautiful, simple field pea dish is the building block for the relish that you will make for the Panko Encrusted Swordfish.

…Getting back to my story. We had returned from Florida with a bushel or so of peas…

I had invited a few couples over for dinner that week and knew that I wanted to serve something slightly more elevated than a bowl of field peas and ham. That’s when I remembered a recent article I had read in Garden and Gun that had incorporated peas into a relish. My mind started running and I suddenly knew exactly what I wanted to serve! My family cannot get enough of my Panko Fried Chicken so I thought to myself, “what if I lightly fry Mahi Mahi or Swordfish the way I fry my chicken?…then top it with field pea relish?”…and that’s exactly what I did. As it turns out…the meal was a huge hit with our guests! The field pea relish with its lightly sweet and acidic notes, made the perfect complement to the crunchy, buttery fish. Served alongside creamy Gouda Grits and a simple Spinach Salad, this elegant summer meal is worthy of your fanciest dinner party menu or presented casually the way I did. Either way…it’s a show stopper!!! And a recipe you will want to Pin and return to summer after summer! (Psst! While it’s still “summery” outside…make this dish this week! Heck! I break the rules about wearing white after Labor Day ALL the time!)

SOUTHERN FIELD PEA RELISH

1 tbsp. minced shallot
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
2 cups cooked field peas (lady peas are pictured)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp. chopped parsely
1/2 tbsp. chopped chives
1/2 tbsp. chopped oregano
1/2 tbsp. lemon zest
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, simmer minced shallot and garlic in 2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar over medium heat until softened (about 5 minutes). Place mixture in a bowl and combine with peas, olive oil and chopped herbs and zest and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

PANKO ENCRUSTED SWORDFISH (Serves 4)

8 – 4oz swordfish fillets…2 fillets per guest (I have also used Mahi Mahi!)
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
1 1/2 cups peanut or vegetable oil or enough to cover bottom of frying pan to 1/4″
salt and pepper to taste

The breading of the fillets is a 3-part process using three bowls for dredging and dipping. I like to season and bread all of my fish before heating the oil.

Place flour, buttermilk and panko crumbs in three different bowls. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper to the flour and panko crumbs; stir to combine.
Wash and dry fish fillets; lightly salt and pepper each side of the fish
Dredge each fillet in flour; shaking off excess
Dip floured fillet in buttermilk and coat
Dredge and fully cover the floured and buttermilk’d fillet in panko crumbs; set aside on tray
Repeat for all fillets
Place oil in frying pan and heat on high, watching carefully
When oil has reached frying temperature, place the fillets into the pan; be careful not to overcrowd
Fry on each side about 3 minutes or until golden brown
Remove to lined plate or warm oven until ready to serve; top with Field Pea Relish

panko-encrusted-swordfish-and-lady-pea-relish-over-gouda-grits — Panko Encrusted Swordfish and Southern Field Pea Relish with Creamy Gouda Grits and Fresh Spinach

Bon Voyage Summer!!! See ya later Field Peas and Tomatoes! Until next time!!! We love you! Peace Out!

Autumn…we’re comin’ for ya!!!

Remember to follow these and other Peach and the Willow recipes and decorating ideas on Pinterest. Search me, Sabrina Shelfer Pflug, and pin from the Peach and the Willow Recipe Board! Happy Pinning!

Field Pea Relish recipe courtesy of Garden and Gun Magazine, June/July 2016

Green Sauce ~ Three Saucy Babes ~ Part 3

May 23, 2016May 23, 2016Sabrina Pflug | Peach and the WillowLeave a comment

Awwww…Green Sauce, you beautiful babe you! You’re pretty, smart and voted most likely to succeed! Dinner parties are more interesting when you’re invited as you simply light up the table! Vegetables are more vibrant when you’re around. Even the humble grilled cheese breathes a breath of fresh air when you come to call.

Green Sauce is relatively new to my kitchen but has quickly sprung to the top of my “must have” list. Although this saucy babe shares similar ingredients with Salsa Verde, Chimichurri or Pesto (all of which I greatly enjoy), I find Green Sauce to be something quite different and delicious in its own right. The parsley and basil swim around beautifully in the most perfectly salty/citrusy bath, lending a freshness to almost anything with which its is paired. My “go-to” for a quick dinner party is Seared Steak with Green Sauce. It’s fancy without being snobby, never takes itself too seriously but always completely consumed to the great delight of my guests.

Grilled Steak, Roasted Carrots, Purple Sweet Potatoes, Corn and Green Sauce — Pan Seared Steak with Roasted Carrots and Purple Sweet Potatoes finished with Green Sauce. Green Sauce pairs as beautifully with the vegetables as it does the steak!

I’m a big believer that sauce should enhance the food…not smother the food. It should be a compliment to the dish…not overwhelming to it. I find this sauce always delivers!

I recently dined at a fantastic New Orleans restaurant, Peche Seafood Grille, on Magazine Street. One of the dishes we ordered that evening was whole Red Fish, the quintessential fish of choice for locals. Upon arrival to the table I was delighted to find that the entire top of the fish was covered with their version of Green Sauce! What a compliment to this beautifully prepared dish! I have also recently noted that one of Nashville’s acclaimed restaurants, Husk, also serves their version of Green Sauce with beef dishes.

GREEN SAUCE

Two cups packed flat leafed parsley leaves
One cup packed Basil leaves
One garlic clove
2 tsp. capers
2 anchovy fillets
pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Pinch of salt

Place all ingredients except olive oil in food processor or blender (blender will produce a smoother sauce and this is what I prefer) and pulse until leaves are broken down. Stream in the olive oil, more for a loose sauce, less for one that is more dense. Do not over puree’ but, instead, keep it a bit course in nature.

Serve atop meat or vegetables on a large platter or in a bowl for passing.

Recipe compliments: Food 52 (my favorite food blog!)

Try your own variations with all three of these versatile sauces and share your results in the comments! I just love hearing from you guys!!! Cheers!!!

Good Gookamookee Sauce ~ Three Saucy Babes ~ Part Two

May 20, 2016Sabrina Pflug | Peach and the WillowLeave a comment

Good Gookamookee Sauce (pronounced; goo-ka-moo-kee) is HANDS DOWN my most often used and requested barbecue sauce. But let me be clear…this is my dad’s prized sauce and he deserves all the credit! When he first made it for our family, he declared “good gookamookee!” the name stuck, and a craze began! For a lotta folks…it’s barbecue crack (beware people!…highly addictive!). Just don’t let my dad see you put it on his smoked brisket! By his rules, he decrees Good Gookamookee can accompany anything but brisket! (Hmmm…I humbly disagree!…this sauce would taste good on a rock! Love you dad!)

Please allow me to “break it down” for a moment and elaborate on Good Gookamookee Sauce and all its many culinary attributes. It’s a mustard based sauce, highly reminiscent of those made famous in the Carolinas. It’s wet. You get me? Wet! Not thick and sappy sweet…but liquidy and slightly sweet with a nice little peppery kick and a pleasant vinegary burn. Because of the spiciness and acidity of the sauce, it also plays the role of marinade,finishing sauce, dipping sauce and dressing! Yep. This sauce is kick ass (sorry mom). I have used it in so many dishes I couldn’t possibly be able to account for them. However, it is most obviously and frequently used when barbecuing (my friend Trey swears by his Barbecue Grilled Chicken Thighs with Good Gookamookee Sauce) while my husband puts a little in pasta dishes! It’s delicious mixed in with hamburger meat before grilling with a continuous basting or as that “special something” in your favorite homemade soup. The Peach and the Willow Slaw that accompanies the pulled pork sandwiches in this blog uses Good Gookamookee Sauce as its slaw dressing! So you see…no other barbecue sauce pulls this much weight in the kitchen or at the grill. Without further adieu…I present to you the recipe for Saucy Babe #2…

GOOD GOOKAMOOKEE SAUCE

2 cups Cider Vinegar
1 cup Brown Sugar; packed
1 cup yellow prepared mustard
3 tbsp Hot Sauce (I use Louisiana)
2 tbsp Black Pepper (I use course ground)
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tbsp Season Salt

Mix together and store in a jar or squirt bottle. Gets better as it ages!!!! I usually double this recipe because of how often I use it!

A Pulled Pork Slider is the ultimate summer crowd pleaser! Poolside, lakeside, beach picnics or just a great lunch or supper at home, this is the ticket! And EASY! The only thing the pork requires from you is patience. Here’s your step by step guide for Pulled Pork and Peach and the Willow Slaw.

PULLED PORK

Buy a pork butt or shoulder just big enough to fit in your Dutch Oven. You will want a big ‘un cause you’ll want as much pulled pork as possible! Turn stove burner on high and pour 2 – 3 TBSP of Vegetable Oil in the bottom of your pot, bringing up to high temperature but not smoking. Generously salt and pepper your roast on all sides and sear the meat on high a couple minutes per side. End with the fatty side on top (you want the fat to seep down into the meat).

Next, douse in 3 – 4 Tbsp Worcestershire over the top of the roast…

Cover pot, turn burner to low heat and walk away! The secret to good stovetop pulled pork is cooking it low and slow. I cooked mine a little over four hours but it could have withstood longer. Check your pot every hour or so to make sure you have liquid at the bottom of pot…adding water as needed. I didn’t add any water during my cook time.

Once done, remove roast to a cutting board until cool enough to handle. Using your fingers, pull the pork into strips. You will have a mound of beautiful pulled pork like this…

Some folks sauce their pulled pork at this juncture. I find that my family likes to sauce as they go…some want more, some less. This is totally up to your preference. When the pork has been pulled, it’s ready to be stacked onto a slider bun, splashed with a little Good Gookamookee Sauce and topped with Peach and the Willow slaw…

Good Gookamookee Pork Sliders.PNG — Pulled Pork Sliders with Good Gookamookee Sauce and Peach and the Willow Slaw

Pulled Pork and Good Gookamookee Sauce go together like peaches and cream but if you want a truly elevated Pork Slider, add my Peach and the Willow Slaw. I would say my slaw is like a classic vinegar slaw, but it’s not. I would say it’s like Asian slaw, but it’s not! So it’s simply “Peach and the Willow Slaw” and it’s my original. Because this slaw is crunchy, spicy and sweet, it is a perfect pairing with the meat and soft bun. And, since there is no mayo involved, it packs beautifully for any outdoor dining situation. And let’s talk about the colors! Don’t they say we eat with our eyes???? Check out these gorgeous slaw ingredients!

P & W Slaw — Gorgeous ingredients for Peach and the Willow Slaw

PEACH AND THE WILLOW SLAW

1/2 head of red cabbage, julienned
1/2 jicama, shaved into strips or julienned (if not available…no worries)
Julienned Slaw Veggies
1/4 large sweet onion, julienned (I almost exclusively use sweet yellow onions in everything I cook…just my preference)
1 white carrot, shaved into strips (orange works…I like these better)
1/2 of granny smith apple, julienned
1/2 jalapeño, minced (Good Gookamookee is pretty spicy on its own so if you can’t tolerate a little heat, forego the jalapeño. That said, most of my folks want it in there!)
1/4 to 1/2 cup Good Gookamookee Sauce
Salt to taste (you will not need pepper…there’s plenty in the sauce)

Mix all together. Done! Yields 8 servings or enough toppings for 16 sliders.

All that’s left to do is pack your cooler with Pulled Pork, a jar of Good Gookamookee Sauce and your Peach and the Willow Slaw and head outside to play, eat and enjoy! Pack your pulled pork in aluminum foil and throw the foil package on a hot grill to warm before serving. It’s also fine room temp. Assemble your sliders at your outing! Super fun and easy!

Good Gookamookee Pork Sliders Lakeside — Pulled Pork Slider with Peach and the Willow Slaw – Lakeside!

Happy Summer Everyone! Cheers!!!

Three Saucy Babes You Can’t Live Without ~ Part One

May 18, 2016Sabrina Pflug | Peach and the WillowLeave a comment

Portrait of Three Saucy Babes

Sound like rock stars, don’t they? That’s because these Three Saucy Babes are culinary rock stars!!! And with not a single “walk of shame” between them! They bring the kind of giddy “sauciness” to my cooking life that I simply can’t live without in my kitchen! Spiciness, sweetness, piquantness, freshness…each one adding their own fascinating and lively taste to the food I serve. And with such great variation! Are you in love yet? You ready to turn them up to 11 and rip off the knob??? (Ha!…my attempt at humor has me cracking myself up.)

Introducing Three Saucy Babes:

Salad Sauce (aka, my go-to salad dressing)
Good Goo-ka-moo-kee Sauce (aka, my favorite BBQ sauce that also doubles as a marinade)
Green Sauce (aka, “Holy Moly that’s awesome sauce”…not to be confused with Chimichurri Sauce)

PART ONE (of a 3 Part Mini Series)

SALAD SAUCE – The “salad sauce” is really a beautiful vinaigrette especially designed for a Greek Salad. I first became obsessed with it after seeing the recipe on the “How Sweet Eats” blog (her post is here) and have made it a staple in my fridge ever since! Hear me loud and clear when I say this is EVERYONE’s favorite salad sauce in my circle of friends and family! I’m always asked about it…by children, adults, parakeets…all walking and talking things really. So make it tonight…and “I told you so!”

There are nine very humbling, very beautiful ingredients in this salad sauce (aka, dressing) that will elevate ANY salad you make from here until eternity. Sure…you’ll wander off and flirt with the Green Goddess Buttermilk Dressing or dance with the Caesar Dressing…but you’ll never make those dressings your “go-to” salad sauce…your main squeeze…and this one, you will…

Dressing Ingredients — Salad Sauce Ingredients

Salad Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of one large lemon
3 tbsp. good honey
4 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
1 tsp fresh dill weed (it’s ok to use dry dill if you don’t have fresh)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients, except olive oil. Continue to whisk while streaming in the olive oil at the end. I have also been known to pop the ingredients in a bottle and simply shake them up. The salad sauce will be good to go sealed, in the fridge, for a week or so.

Salad Sauce will separate…but no worries! Just stir it or shake it before serving.

Use it with any salad combination your heart desires. I love the simplicity of this one made up of butter lettuce, radishes and shaved white carrots. This salad literally “sings” when combined with my salad sauce! Fresh, crisp, light and full of flavor!!! Think about it? Lemons, garlic, honey, a little vinegar and good oil and spices are the perfect summer playmates for your favorite bouquet of garden greens and veggies. Not to mention how quick and easy it is!

Simple Green Salad — Beautiful and Simple Salad – Undressed

You may recall that I declared this dressing as a staple or “go-to” for me? You might even call it a building block in my kitchen. Almost every salad variation I make like my Orzo Salad (my niece, Cally’s, favorite) or my Shrimp Salad, uses this dressing as its “sauce”. What about grilled veggies mixed with crisp greens and crumbled candied bacon? Marinate the cut grilling vegetables like onions, squash and red peppers in some of the salad sauce before putting them on the hot grill; after grilling, toss them in more sauce and add to the crisp greens and bacon! I do this all summer long!!!! Don’t worry, I’ll share some of these salads recipes, as well as others, in upcoming blog posts…

Up next?…Saucy Babe #2! Good Goo-Ka-Moo-kee Sauce! Your barbecue will never be the same!!!!! This sauce will make sure of that!!!

Cheers everyone!

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest!!! Insta: @peachandthewillow

Pinterest: @peachandwillow

Roasted Pork with Whiskey Plum Sauce

March 9, 2016March 9, 2016Sabrina Pflug | Peach and the WillowLeave a comment

My mama makes a MEAN Pork Roast. It’s “slap your mama good”..pardon the pun! My family and I grew up eating her roasts on Sundays and holidays, and the taste always conjures up those memories. Lavish, over-filled plates of roasted meat, rice and gravy and fresh from the garden vegetables or ones pulled from the freezer from last summer’s harvest. It conjures family and community and glorious chit chat that I long to remember and revel in my heart and mind. No matter how many times I make Roasted Pork, it seems I always find myself dialing her number and asking the specifics of her recipe yet one more time. Her tips no doubt change with each call…and that’s probably on purpose, don’t you think? I mean, the magic she’s putting into her roast is her magic…the love and pixie dust she puts into her food is hers alone. That magic is hard to communicate on a recipe card or pinterest board, or even in a phone conversation. But still…I call, I ask, I attempt.

My Roasted Pork is a “riff” on my mama’s roast. She would say, “well, you’ve gone and messed it up” but au contraire! “Mama…wait ’til you get a load of this…and a taste!” ROASTED PORK with WHISKEY PLUM SAUCE . The sauce may change your life! The tanginess of the plums marries so beautifully with the richness of the pork. The faint sweetness of the whiskey is a delicious and unexpected note. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables as you serve or on the side as I have done and then make sure you have nice bread on the table to help clean the plate of all the saucey goodness!

Roast Table View — **ROASTED PORK WITH WHISKEY PLUM SAUCE**

INGREDIENTS:

3 – 4 pound pork butt roast
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Plums, pitted and quartered
1 Large Yellow Onion, quartered
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
Couple Splashes of Worcestershire
1 Tbsp chopped fresh Rosemary
1 lb carrots
6 – 8 Red Potatoes, diced
1 Cup Chicken Stock
All purpose Flour
salt and pepper
1 shot of Whiskey (optional and I used Jack Daniels)

Turn oven to 325 Degrees F.
Place 2 Tbsp EVOO into Dutch Oven. Turn stove top on high and heat oil (watch carefully…don’t burn the oil).
Salt and Pepper your Pork Butt on all sides. Don’t skimp…the roast can take it!
Now sear the meat on all sides. Make sure you end with fatty side up. This way, the fat flows down into the meat while it’s roasting. Juicy!!!
Once the meat is seared, throw in your onion, minced garlic, plum and chopped rosemary… turn heat to med. high.
Now douse with two or three splashes of Worcestershire Sauce over meat, plums and veggies.
Pop into the 325 Degree oven…UNCOVERED. It should look something like this going in…
Walk away and cook for two hours. Your home will be filled with the most delicious aromas.
At the two hour mark, add your carrots and potatoes to the dutch oven. I like to make sure I salt them as I layer the vegetables. I also put a bit of the cooking liquid over the potatoes and carrots before returning to the oven.
Set your timer and cook uncovered, one additional hour. At the end of that time, your pot should look like this…
Turn off oven. Remove the roast, potatoes and all but TWO carrots from the Dutch Oven onto a Serving Platter to rest. Cover lightly with foil.
The broken down bits of heaven that are left in the dutch oven should look like this and you are about to make sauce magic out of them.
Dump this mixture into a blender, reserving 1/4 quarter cup of the liquid drippings and leaving in the dutch oven.
Pulse the roasted veggies and plums until pureed.
Meanwhile, heat the reserved roasting drippings over a medium high heat. Once bubbling, scatter a couple Tbsp flour into the reserved liquid and make a roux. The flour will ball up immediately and at this point you will need to whisk in the chicken stock slowly. Whisk out any lumps as it begins to cook and thicken, about 3 – 4 minutes. It should look like this…
Return the roasted plum and vegetable puree’ back into the pot and cook on medium, stirring to heat through.
Add the shot of whiskey and stir (optional). Wait for the alcohol to cook out, about a minute, and then taste for salt and pepper. Add as needed. You may not need very much, if any, because you layered with salt as you added the vegetables to the roast.
Simmer on low for about five minutes or until ready to serve.

Juicy and flavorful Pork

Comfort Food

Rich and Decadent Sauce

Enjoy this meal anytime but it’s especially great for Sunday Suppers, Holiday Celebrations and Friends and Family Gatherings! And one more thing!!!…Roast Pork leftovers make excellent Pulled Pork Sandwiches later and I will be sharing my crave worthy BBQ Sauce in an upcoming post that you will want to make again and again!

Until then…Cheers!!! XOXO

Roasted Pork and Sauce — **ROASTED PORK WITH WHISKEY PLUM SAUCE**

My Favorite Pound Cake (Dressed up for Easter!)

March 3, 2016March 3, 2016Sabrina Pflug | Peach and the Willow5 Comments

When you grow up in the South as I did, you find that pound cake is in a food group all to itself. You’ve had pound cake with strawberries and cream, pound cake with peaches and cream, with blackberries and cream, just whipped cream or your favorite ice cream. You’ve had dry pound cake, melt in your mouth pound cake, TOO buttery pound cake (yes…there is such a thing), too dense pound cake, toasted pound cake, week old pound cake and on and on! Pound cake is not seasonal for southerners, although we oftentimes pair it with fruits of the season as mentioned before. And it always shows up on the Easter buffet…right along with the deviled eggs and potato salad seasoned with bacon fat. My table will be no exception…but this year My Favorite Pound Cake will be getting “dressed up” in Easter finery with a flowery adornment of halo mandarins…an Easter Bonnet, if you will!

Reminiscent of the pineapple rings on a pineapple upside-down cake, the slices of fresh mandarin orange give this cake a sort of old world charm. It’s rustic but beautiful…with the look of sunny spring flowers. And the taste??!!! A nectarous cake that is super moist and laced with a hint of citrusy sweet bitterness that comes across as very…hmmm…the best way I can describe it is sophisticated and clean. Not too fussy…not overdone…not trying too hard cake. Just simple and delicious. And the look of the cake is stunning. Halo mandarins are in season until April so including this particular pound cake for Easter should be no problem! If for some reason you don’t like halos, just don’t include them in the recipe. This pound cake is delish either way.

Mandarin Orange Pound Cake — **A Cake as Pretty as an Easter Bonnet**

The recipe for My Favorite Pound Cake is adapted from a Southern Living recipe published in 2006. However, I have tweaked it over the years using tricks of the trade handed down by friends and relatives who are GREAT pound cake bakers (Shannon Lollie and Connie Melzer to drop a couple names). It is fail proof and amazing!!!

SOUR CREAM POUND CAKE

1 1/2 cups butter, softened (hint…throw in a dollop more)
3 cups sugar
7 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour ( I use organic and unbleached)
1/2 tsp. salt (I add a pinch more)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
(If making the mandarin orange version, include a couple Tbsp. of Cointreau Liqueur if you have it on hand)

If making the Halo Mandarin Version of cake…start by slicing halos in four thin slices and assembling at bottom and side of greased and parchment lined tube pan. You will use from 8 – 10 halos. See picture for assembly tips. If you are making “My Favorite Pound Cake” without fruit…forego step one.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until the yolk disappears.
Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture (this is important). Beat batter at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in extracts. Pour into a greased 12-cup tube pan. I also line the bottom and part of side with parchment to assure that the cake will come out clean.
Bake at 325 Degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Pound Cake in Bundt Pan — **MY FAVORITE POUND CAKE** **fresh from the oven!**

Should you want a nice whipped cream to accompany the Mandarin Orange version…this one would be perfect!

WHIPPED CREAM

Makes about 2 cups (Prep: 5 Min.)

1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. orange Liqueur

Beat whipping cream at low speed with an electric mixer until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Stir in Liqueur.

Mandarin Orange Pound Cake Slice — **Buttery…Moist…Crunchy on the Bottom…Fruity on the Top**

Fig and Walnut Crackers…The Perfect Cracker (Really!)

February 23, 2016Sabrina Pflug | Peach and the Willow3 Comments

I am arriving upon the seven year anniversary of my perfect cracker discovery. It happened on a girlfriend trip to Chicago in ’09 where one of the four girlfriends was living at the time. I arrived, sick as a dog, dosed up on God knows what and a steroid pack (great house guest, huh?) ready to hit Chi-town and have an adventure with my besties! There was no way I was going to miss a long weekend full of laughter, museums, speakeasy’s, shopping, wine, food and friends. Oh! And the perfect cracker! But I hadn’t discovered that yet…

As we strategized the next few days around Nancy’s dining room table, glasses of red wine in hand and enough crazy chatter to require a translator, Nancy served to us what would become my cheese board cracker obsession from that moment on. I can still hear her announcing to us like it was yesterday, “I found these fantastic little fig crackers at Whole Foods and can’t get enough of them!” The crackers were indeed the perfect vessel for the Cambozola Cheese and Fig Preserves that sat happily upon them. They were nutty and rustic; sweet and savory. I may have been doped up on antihistamines and the like, but my girlfriends and I savored every delicious bite of a new found food crush. We went on several culinary explorations that weekend, but besides my always beautiful friends, it was the cracker that left the lasting impression.

When I returned home and headed to the market to find my cracker obsession, what I found was sticker shock!!!! Granted, I’m not a “cheap” person by any means but wowzer!…Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps think very highly of themselves! No wonder I love them…they’re crazy EXPENSIVE!!! The crackers came in a teeny tiny little package and sported a price tag of about 8 bucks for twenty or so crackers! Every time I would purchase them (and believe me, I’ve purchased them over and over for my cheese boards for years now), I would think to myself, “surely I can make these at home!”

It was last year that a magical thing happened. I bought a wonderful cookbook by blogger turned cookbook writer, Izy Hossack. The book, and subsequently the blog, is entitled Top with Cinnamon and both are wonderful. Check them out here. Anyhoo…I was reading through her beautiful book and there they were!!!…Fig & Walnut Parmesan Crackers!!!! Izy had unlocked the secret to my cracker obsession!!! I vowed to make them the next week to find out if they stacked up to my “perfect cracker.” Suffice it to say, about eight months later I got around to making the recipe and BOOM! There it was! A beautiful, rustic, sweet and savory cracker that I could make at home for a ton less money than the ones I was buying at the market!…plus they are homemade!…plus they are healthy…plus they are delicious!!! So many wins!

In my home, these Fig and Walnut Crackers must be invited to every cheeseboard party!!! My favorite combination is the way Nancy served them…with a bit of Cambozola Cheese, a beautiful cow’s milk cheese that is a combination of a French triple cream and an Italian gorgonzola, and topped with fig preserves. Even if you’re not a gorgonzola fan, the triple cream and the sweet preserve will soften the saltiness that the gorgonzola can deliver, so I hope you’ll try it. It is heaven in a bite! I also love my perfect cracker served with just a plain triple cream brie as in my photos. Or with my Rosemary Goat Cheese that I will post in an upcoming blog (friends always beg for the recipe). Garnished with a slice of plum and voila! Cheese Board perfection.

The following is my adaptation of Izy’s recipe. Great news!!?? The recipe is SIMPLE to make! I dropped the parmesan from Izy’s original name since I couldn’t plainly detect it’s taste influence. I also plan to tweak the recipe a bit more and introduce fresh rosemary to my next batch!

FIG AND WALNUT CRACKERS

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup parmesan, finely grated
1/4 tsp salt
5 tbsp honey
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup dried figs, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease two loaf tins with butter. In a large bowl, stir together the first 6 ingredients. Add 12 1/2 fl oz water and the honey and stir until well combined. Stir in the walnuts, pumpkin seeds and dried figs. Divide the batter between the loaf tins and bake for 40 – 50 minutes, until the edges have started to shrink away from the tins and the loaves are dark on top. Leave to cool on a wired rack and then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze at least 3 – 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Unwrap and thinly slice the frozen loaves into roughly 1/8 in. thick slices. Allow them to thaw a little then place the slices on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and bake for 15 – 20 minutes. Watch the crackers very carefully during this stage as you may want to bake a bit longer if you desire a crunchy cracker. The crackers will crisp as they cool…but I found that I had to increase my bake time from the original recipe because I don’t like a “chewy” cracker. Needs a definite “crunch”! You can store them in an airtight container for up to a week. Recipe adapted from Top with Cinnamon; Izy Hossack

Fig and Walnut Cracker

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do and serve it soon! Remember to savor life every day!…regardless if a cheese board is involved or not! Love on your family extra hard and let your friends know you cherish and adore them! Cheers everyone!!

Chicago Trip — Girlfriends in Chicago…Nancy, Robyn, Me and Teri

Weeknight Glazed Salmon and a “Killer” Rice Salad

February 15, 2016February 16, 2016Sabrina Pflug | Peach and the Willow3 Comments

I remember the moment I started seriously paying attention to salmon and adding it to my diet. No…it wasn’t because I heard it was loaded with Omega-3s and super charged proteins that fight off disease and increase brain power. It was because I read that salmon was a serious part of J Lo’s beauty regimen (listen to Jenny From the Block here..oh yeah!) and how she achieved flawless, glowy skin (sigh). Yep…vanity got the best of me! And every time I would eat salmon I thought, “Bam! Take that epidermis! Bam! Take that pesky crow’s feet! Take that plain ol’ yucky wrinkles!” Hmmm…I eat plenty of Salmon but alas, the skin is, shall we say, “doing it’s thang” and father time stops for no one, not even salmon. But I digress…

I now eat Salmon, not for it’s beauty attributes, but because it’s just down right delicious and am thankful that something I love to eat so much is so stinkin’ good for me! Another bonus…my son and hubs love it more than I!…so it’s a simple and tasty “go-to” menu for a weeknight supper. In fact, I created this recipe last week while perusing my frig and cupboards for what I had on hand (this is pretty much the way I roll, cooking wise). The first thing I spied was a lone butternut squash…and what was to follow turned into Glazed Salmon with Brown Rice Salad of Roasted Butternut Squash, Kale and Pecans. Guys…this Salmon dish is ridiculously good and your family will not realize that they are eating Super Food Champions. Salmon? Kale? Wholesome grains? What’s even better? My twelve year old son gobbled it up!!!! Score!

Winter will soon be over and we’ll be enjoying more grilled meets and salads with juicy, vine-ripe tomatoes, so enjoy the winter vegetables like this Butternut Squash and be glad they’re still readily available. And the next day…when you have some salad leftovers and you want to eat them for lunch…add some edamame to the dish and you’ll be even happier!

GORGEOUS INGREDIENTS

You’ll start by making the dressing which also doubles as the salmon marinade. I use this simple dressing for a ton of applications and therefore I keep it around a great deal. It’s a sweet dressing that rocks out this salmon and gives it a beautiful, sweet, brown glaze. Also works well with ribs, pork tenderloin and chicken…

Sweet and Sour Dressing

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbs soy sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients. I personally like to shake it in a bottle. This will yield about 2 cups dressing, so you’ll have some left over for other applications.

Glazed Salmon with Brown Rice Salad of Butternut Squash, Kale and Pecans

2 – 4 Salmon Filets (1 – 2 lbs)

1 cup uncooked Brown Rice (cook according to package)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup Butternut Squash; cut into 1″ dice

1/2 cup sweet onion; diced

1 clove garlic; minced

4 – 5 large Kale leaves; remove ribs and coarsely chop

1/2 cup pecans; chopped

1/2 cup cranberries; chopped

2 stalks celery; chopped

2 Tbs Butter

Marinade Salmon in about 1/2 cup Sweet and Sour Dressing while preparing the salad
Prepare brown rice according to package and cool
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add Butternut Squash, Onion and Garlic. Mix together with a dousing of EVOO (2 -3 Tbs) and remember…do not overcrowd the veggies or you will steam instead of roast them
Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes
Meanwhile, saute’ the chopped kale and olive oil in a hot saute’ pan for about one minute. Salt and pepper Kale to taste. The Kale will break down fast and you want to maintain the beautiful green color. Set aside to cool.
When the roasted Butternut Squash, Onion and Garlic have cooked for thirty minutes, add the pecans and cranberries to the baking sheet and toss slightly. Cook for 5 – 7 minutes longer, being careful to watch the cranberries as you do not want them to char. Set aside to cool slightly.
Prepare frying pan with 2 Tbs butter and place on medium high heat. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, place salmon filets in hot pan, pouring marinade into the pan with the salmon. Salt and pepper.
Watch your salmon for doneness…about two minutes per side for a gorgeous salmon that is not overcooked but velvety soft in the middle and brown on the outside. Continue to baste with marinade from the pan as you cook. Place into a 175 degree oven (if frying pan is oven safe), to keep warm while you combine salad
In a large bowl, combine rice, roasted vegetables, nuts and fruit and chopped celery.
Dress with Sweet and Sour Dressing to taste…start with about 1/4 cup…toss…taste…salt and pepper if needed…

“Killer Salad”

My mouth waters just looking at this “killer salad!” The crunch of the pecans and celery, the sweetness of the squash and cranberries and the slight salty bitterness of the kale make this a delectable salad…and the color is SO pretty! Feel free to interchange the rice with quinoa or wild rice…any grain, really. I serve it room temperature, alongside fish, pork and chicken. Would pack well for a picnic or potluck! Serve the Glazed Salmon over a bed of the rice salad.

GLAZED SALMON WITH BROWN RICE SALAD OF BUTTERNUT SQUASH, KALE AND PECANS

Bon Appetite!!!!

And please tell me what you think of this dish! I love your feedback!!! xo