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Cumin Roasted Pork Chops with Lemon Barley Salad & Kale Pesto
Today's Recipe comes from Nick Melvin, my favorite. Famous on this blog for the Good Luck Soup. These pork chops are amazing, and the kale pesto is out of this world. Jimmy said it was the best pork chop he'd ever eaten, and I agree.
Ingredients
- 6 oz Kale
- 1 Clove Garlic
- 1 Lemon
- 2 Pork Chops (no bone) (the pork in this recipe is from Riverview Farms)
- 1/2 T cumin, 1 t chili powder, 1/2 t paprika, 1/2 t brown sugar (mixed together - known as pork spice)
- 3/4 Cup Pearled Barley
- 1 T Shallot
- 2 T Pine Nuts
- 1/4 Cup Currants
- 3 T Feta
- Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
Tools
- Large Ovenproof Saute Pan
- Small Saute Pan
- Small Sauce Pot
- Food Processor Blender
Preheat Oven & Boil Water
- Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
- In a sauce pot, bring 2 1/2 cups of salted water to a boil for the barley
Make Pesto, Cook Barley & Zest Lemon
- Zest & juice lemon, set zest aside for later
- Remove stems from Kale and roughly chop
- In a food processor or blender, pulse the kale with lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper
- With the machine on, slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil & blend until smooth (add more oil as needed)
- Add Barley to boiling water, bring back to boil then reduce heat to med & cook 20-25 minutes, until tender
Prep & Cook Pork
- Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large ovenproof saute pan over med-heat
- Rub pork with Pork Spice on all sides
- Add pork to hot pan & brown 1-2 minutes per side
- Transfer pan to oven & cook 7-12 minutes, until cooked through (cooking time depends on the size of the chop)
Drain Barley and Toast Nuts
- Heat 1/2 Tbsp oil in a small saute pan over medium heat
- Add shallots & cook 1-2 minutes until translucent
- Add pine nuts & currants & cook 1-2 min, until pine nuts are golden
- Drain Excess Water from barley
- Fold pesto & pine nut mixture into barley
Plate Meal & Enjoy
- Scoop barley onto plate & top with pork chop. garnish with lemon zest & crumbled feta
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Photographer Katie Oblinger and I set out to interview The Optimist's new head chef Wesley True last week. It was our first chef interview and photo shoot, and we were both a little nervous. As soon as we walked in and met Chef True we were immediately at ease. He was warm and friendly, and the restaurant had clean lines, contemporary design, and great vibes. Katie got photos of True that captured his spirit and fun loving personality. After the shoot, I sat down with him and let him tell me his story.