Smoked-Salt-Pork-Chop-with-tomato-jam,-arugula-potato-salad

Ingredients

1 ½ cup tomatoes
1 tsp garlic
¼ tsp sugar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 sprigs thyme
2 pork chops
1 tsp Back to Organic Applewood Smoked Salt
½ lb potatoes
2 cups arugula
¼ cup onion
1 Tbsp dill
1 Tbsp parsley
3 Tbsp sherry or champagne vinegar

Here is another spectacular and well balanced meal from Chef Amy Ponzoli for Garnish & Gather. The Sweet Applewood Smoked Pacific Sea Salt pairs beautifully with the juicy Riverview Farm pork chop, homemade tomato jam and flavorful arugula potato salad. I recommend doubling the recipe for the arugula potato salad to nibble on for lunch the following day; it is refreshing and packed with vitamins to give you energy.

Instead of boiling the potatoes, I roasted whole jacketed potatoes over a bed of kosher salt at 400 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. This retains all the nutrients and makes the potatoes fluffy since the salt draws out some of the moisture. You can roast the potatoes the night before and leave at room temperature or refrigerate. If you need a 30 minute meal, follow Garnish and Gather’s directions to dice and boil the potatoes.

I highly recommend rubbing olive oil and smoked applewood pacific sea salt on each side of the pork chops and then letting them sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. This will tenderize the meat. Another trick is to let the pork chops rest for 5 to 7 minutes after baking them so the flavorful juices stay in the chops instead of spilling on the plate when you slice into them. It is hard to wait but I promise it is worth it.

If you are not familiar with Garnish & Gather here in Atlanta, you should definitely check out their website and local market. Each week they offer several new menus created by a Chef for you to have delivered to your door or to a convenient location near you. They portion out all ingredients and provide detailed instructions so you can make the perfect meal each time. No more waste and you can expand your palate trying new recipes.

You can also order local, organic produce and artisan goodies along with your meal kit. Try some roasted garlic Banner Butter or tomato basil chèvre cheese on some H & F sea salt crackers or a fresh baguette. If you are making brunch, make Bloody Marys with H & F Bloody Mary mix and Back to Organic Bloody Mary Himalayan pink salt. Garnish and Gather makes shopping so easy for you.

Directions

1) MARINADE THE PORK CHOPS- Coat both sides of the pork chops with the olive oil and Back to Organic Smoked Applewood Pacific Sea Salt. Set aside.

2) PREHEAT OVEN & COOK POTATOES- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roughly chop potatoes into bite sized pieces. Add to a small pot of salted water, bring to a boil & cook 15 min.

3) PREP & COOK TOMATOES- Roughly chop tomatoes. Heat 1 Tbsp oil over med-high heat in a sauce pot. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook for 5 min.

4) FINISH TOMATO JAM & POTATOES- Add sugar, balsamic vinegar, thyme sprigs, salt & pepper to tomatoes. Simmer on low for 15-20 min, stirring occasionally. Drain potatoes then transfer to freezer to cool.

5) PREP & COOK PORK- Heat ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add pork chops to skillet & cook 2-3 min per side. Transfer pan to oven & cook 8-10 min, until cooked to desired doneness. Let rest for 5 to 7 minutes.

6) PREP ONION & HERBS & FINISH POTATO SALAD- Thinly slice onion. Chop dill & parsley. Roughly chop arugula. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, arugula, onion, dill, parsley, 1 Tbsp olive oil, sherry or champagne vinegar, salt & pepper.

7) PLATE- Remove thyme stems from tomato jam. Place pork chops on the plate and smother with tomato jam. Place the arugula potato on the side. Enjoy!

NOTE FOR FEEDING THE KIDS: Let the kids dip their pork in the tomato jam like ketchup. You can leave the smoked salt off their portion if they prefer but they will probably want to eat yours if you do!