Wow, it has been some time since I have posted on my cooking blog. I have still been cooking a lot and will post some of the recipes I have made recently. With COVID still spreading, it has been pretty crazy. My wife and I found out last week that our son, Stewart, tested positive. He has had hardly any symptoms except that he can’t taste or smell. He is now in quarantine for two weeks. It’s crazy, but at least he is doing well.

Yesterday it was 75 degrees here, and today it is barely above freezing. It has been a beautiful fall. I have been working a lot on the house, and now I’m working on the yard tidying things up before winter.

Last night I made bone-in French-cut pork chops for dinner. They were wonderful! I purchased them from a local butcher. (Yes, wearing a mask when at the counter.) They are a cut from the tenderloin and were excellent. I will buy them again soon. I cooked them in an old 9 in. cast iron skillet and served them with mashed potatoes on the side and the last of my garden tomatoes. I must admit they were the best tomatoes I have had all season. I drenched the tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil and a good quality balsamic vinegar and sprinkled them with fresh ground sea salt and pepper. I prepared an herb garlic butter with fresh thyme which was put on top of the chops. I also made cornbread and served it with Irish butter. This was a perfect fall dinner.

My thyme, rosemary, mint, and oregano are still going strong in my herb garden. I’m using up what is fresh before the deep freeze and before I cut and dry them for winter. There’s nothing better than fresh herbs!

This past summer a neighbor gave us a hydroponic tower garden for growing fresh veggies and herbs knowing that we like to grow our own. You can grow just about anything in the garden tower, and it used very little space. Being hydroponic it only uses water and enriched liquid nutrients which makes it very cool and easy to use. I will do a blog post on it next summer when I get it back up and running. We received the tower late in the growing season, but I was still able to grow lots of lettuce and herbs. I can’t wait to start it next summer and see what I can harvest. (Thanks Laura!)

Ingredients:

• 2-4 3/4 inch thick cut bone-in pork chops

• 2 Tbs. olive oil

• Crushed black pepper and sea salt

Garlic Butter Ingredients:

• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter

• 1/4 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

1. Over medium heat add two Tbs. Olive oil. and heat until it sizzles.

2. Add the pork chops.

3. Cook 5 min per side or until golden brown.

4. Let them rest 5-7 minutes.

5. Plate and top with garlic butter.

Garlic butter directions:

Whisk butter, garlic, and chopped thyme together in a small bowl. (Cool for at least 1/2 hr.)

French Bone-in Pork Chops with Garlic Herb Butter

Easy to make pork chops with garlic butter

• 2-4
  bone-in pork chops
  ¾ in. Thick
• 2
  Tbs.
  olive oil
• crushed black pepper and sea salt

Garlic Butter ingredients

• 2
  cloves
  garlic
  fresh
• 4
  Tbs.
  butter
  unsalted
• ¼
  tsp.
  thyme
  fresh chopped

1. Over medium heat add two Tbs. Olive oil. and heat until it sizzles.

3. Cook 5 min per side or until golden brown.

4. Let them rest 5-7 minutes.

5. Plate and top with garlic butter.

Garlic butter

1. Whisk butter, garlic, and chopped thyme together in a small bowl. (Cool for at least 1/2 hr.)