Pork chop with roasted Summer veggies
We’re having some strange weather again this Summer. It’s been cold enough to make you contemplate making a pot of stew, but yesterday it was hot again, with the Mother of all rain and murk arriving in the evening.
So what to make for dinner on these days? A strike down the middle; warming, comforting pork chops and a healthy, tumbling portion of bright and beautiful Summer vegetables.
The vegetables are utterly versatile, really, you can chuck in whatever you like – carrots, green beans, fennel, aubergine, well anything! You could liberally strew some fresh herbs over the top for the last 10-15 mins of cooking if you fancied it. I would definitely get some of the fresh basil growing in the garden and tear at it.
I would if I had basil growing in the garden, but I don’t. I’d get one for the windowsill, but Gary (the male cat) would eat it. He likes green stuff. I don’t like cat spit all over my food, so I wouldn’t like that. Hey ho.
So, first pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 6/400F/200C, then have a look at the Summer veg
Sometimes I put the cannellini beans, more often, I don’t. Whatever moves you. After taking this pic, I found a courgette in the fridge, so I sliced that and chucked it in as well. Reckless and free.
So here is the punnet of cherry tomatoes, 2 red onions- cut into thin wedges, the sliced courgette (zucchini), a red pepper- seeded and chunked, and a tin of cannellini beans that I had emptied into a sieve and rinsed. Who puts sludge in the bottom of the tins, I ask you?
Fling them into the roasting tin and drizzle over some light olive oil, some freshly milled salt and black pepper and 2 garlic cloves that you have unfashionably crushed. I say unfashionably, because it’s all about squashing them in their little papers and chopping them nowadays, but I like the garlic in this to be very small and a bit on the fierce side, so none of that ‘slow-baking in its jacket will mellow it out’ junk in this recipe.
Turn it around to cover it all and admire. Pure Summer. Cover it loosely with some foil and bung it in the oven for about 30 mins.
After 30 mins, take it out of the oven, remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to gas mark 8/450F/230C.
It looks pretty unchanged huh? You can see the tomato skins pinching up a bit, but there’s no real change. That’s why we’re going to blast them in the furnace. Stick it up to gas mark 9 if you like them charred.
Charred in a good way, not in a ‘When cooking women dispose of their husband’s body’ way or ‘When good housewives go bad’ or ‘Women do the funniest things’. OK, I’ve finished. It hurt my feminist sentiments, typing that out.
Carry on letting this glorious concoction roast away for a good 30 mins. Keep an eye on them though – they’ll catch at the edges and it really is in your interest to periodically give them a stir to bring the edges into the middle.
I took them out at about 25 mins, because I didn’t want it too pappy, but we decided that we do like them a bit more cooked down; you can’t go wrong really. Even if they’re completely underdone, they’re only hot crudites.
Here they are finished
I stirred a couple of tblsp of balsamic vinegar in, just to keep the flavour lively. It tastes so delicious, and you know it’s good for you. Makes you feel seasonal and virtuous.
So you need to do something about that. You need to cook some meat. That’ll redress the balance.
There you are! Raw slabs of meat! Pork chops, seasoned with salt and pepper and thrust under the grill for about 8 mins each side.
Ta da! We like the crusty bits on the edges. We really, really like pork chops to have a bone inside and some rind, but this was all I could get, so you know. It’s not like I substituted it with hedgehog, so don’t be ungrateful.
We had to have some broccoli and sweetcorn cut off the cob. Alex likes those vegetables with every meal. EVERY meal. I used to love sweetcorn passionately, but frankly, we need a break from each other.
The thing is, it’s my fault really.
Shouldn’t have shown him how to press each piece of corn onto his front teeth to give you that instant ‘ain’t never brushed my teeth’ look.
I still do it better than him. He has much to learn.
Dinner’s ready! Btw, this is Ian’s portion, not Alex’s. I’m not insane.
The pork was juicy and crispy, the roasted veg is so flavoursome, silky and yielding. The easiest meal, but so utterly delicious.
The leftover veg, ahhhh yes. You could reheat it and have it warm like a salad accompaniment, or just cold with a salad. Try it with some meat and mayonnaise in a sandwich. Oh yeah baby. Looks like carnage, but tastes far better than carnage. Ever eaten carnage? Do let me know so that I can alert the police.
Here’s the instructions again, sans wittering:
Roasted Summer Veggies
PRINT THIS RECIPE (Opens in new window)
1 tin cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 red onions, peeled (duh) and cut into slender wedges
1 courgette, sliced
I box cherry tomatoes
I red pepper, chunked
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
drizzle of light olive oil
freshly ground salt and black pepper
balsamic vinegar to drizzle on after cooking (optional)
Preheat oven to GM6/400F/200C
Put vegetables into a roasting tin, drizzle with oil, add crushed garlic and salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
Loosely cover with foil and bake for 30 mins.
Remove tin from oven and increase temperature to GM8/450F/230C
Remove foil, stir veggies and return uncovered tin to the oven.
Continue to cook for another 25-30 minutes. If you like your veggies more on the charred side, then up the oven temperature and leave them in for longer. Do periodically check them and give them a stir.
When cooked, remove from oven, check seasoning and add a splash (2 tbsp or so) of balsamic vinegar to them and give them another stir.
Serve hot (oh! mind your mouth!), lukewarm or cold with a salad. This makes a large quantity, so feel free to reduce quantities as you wish. One word of caution, don’t over-fill the roasting tin too much, otherwise you don’t give it a chance to do anything but steam.
Pork Chops
Preheat grill to medium.
Remove 4 pork chops from the wrapper. Wipe them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for about 8-10 mins each side.
Serve with the roasted veg and some fresh green veg.
So, there were four portions – how come we were not invited to dinner??
Hi. Great site anna well done !! I shall be keeping my eye on you. This sounds very yummy mmmmmmmm
my mouth is watering as I sit here and eat my sweetcorn salad!!!!!
Anna, YOU ARE the new Delia, I confirm it
Rosemary, glad you like it – keep visiting!
Isobel, nothing wrong with sweetcorn salad; Alex would snatch it out of your hands. Hope to see you down here later in the month
I picked up the ingredients and will be making this tonight! I have a soft spot for roasted cherry tomatoes hmmmmm
Ooooh! Simone! Let me know how you like it. xxx
We loved it Anna, it was a bit hit!
Today, i mashed up the leftover veggies and added them to my lasagne! I can smell it now and I cant wait!
Yay Simone! So glad you all enjoyed it!