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Rosemary Pork with Crispy Prosciutto ∙ Applesauce
Rice Pilaf ∙ Steamed Broccoli
October. 2020 is waning, can’t say I’ll be sorry to see it go. That’s another sad side effect of this situation, isn’t it, the wishing away of our precious time, which we can never get back. I tend to be future-focused anyway, not good at living in the moment. But today, I have: walks in the multicolored woods, the satisfying hard labor of putting the garden to bed, long drives on golden afternoons to buy cider and pumpkins, the small thrill of rediscovery when pulling a box of sweaters out of the attic. At least the pandemic hasn’t robbed me of these.
And cooking. Is everyone else out there still feeling the same magnetic pull to the kitchen? Remember spring, when so many people were baking bread that grocery stores were wiped clean of flour and yeast? Even now, every time I go to the store I find some different (and puzzling) shortage of one thing or another. On a recent trip it was canned pumpkin that was out of stock – not good on the day I wanted to make Pumpkin Spice Icebox Cake for a special Saturday night dinner at home.
Luckily I found it at another store, where I also picked up a beautiful pork loin roast for the main dish. One of my favorite ways to prepare pork in the fall is to slather the roast with butter flavored with garlic and rosemary, then drape it with prosciutto. As the pork roasts, the prosciutto holds the seasoned butter against the meat, basting it and infusing it with flavor. When the roast is done, I carefully peel off the prosciutto and run it under the broiler until it’s crispy and crackling, then crumble it into shards to scatter over the carved pork.
For the finishing touch I added a dollop of juicy, cool homemade applesauce – pork’s favorite accessory.
For sides, I chose a packaged rice pilaf and simple steamed broccoli. It’s not necessary for every element of a meal to be homemade or even a “recipe”. I often prepare vegetables very simply, so they don’t compete with the main dish. This broccoli came from our local farm stand, nearly the last of the season I expect. Vegetables this beautiful and fresh don’t need sauce or seasoning, just a little butter and salt added at the table.
To nibble on with drinks, I made a simple appetizer of sweet and salty spiced pecans. They’re a great starter for a fall menu, and they’ll make your house smell amazing while they’re toasting.
And finally, the icebox cake, with all the warm spices and cool creaminess of pumpkin pie, but so airy it dissolves on your tongue. The layers of graham crackers meld with the pumpkin mousse in an astonishing alchemy that results in something very much like actual cake, but lighter and fluffier. Crumbled up toffee candy scattered over the cake adds contrasting crunch and complementary caramel flavor.
During dinner we listened to Frank, of course. But all month long I’ve been listening to folk – seems that’s my favorite sound these days. The eclectic playlist I built for October has a mix of some old and some new, some mellow and some upbeat. Listen to my Folk for Fall playlist on Spotify – I hope you’ll find some old favorites there, and maybe some new ones.
The Game Plan
- Get the applesauce out of the way early – it keeps for weeks in the fridge so make it the day before or even further ahead.
- Make the icebox cake early in the day (at least six hours before serving), or the day before. Before you sit down to dinner, transfer the cake from the pan to a platter, and add the whipped cream and toffee topping. Chill the cake until serving time.
- The pork can also be prepped early in the day, or the day before, as can the Spiced Pecans.
- A couple of hours before dinner, start roasting the pork. It will take an hour to an hour and a half to roast, depending on its size.
- Start cooking the rice when the pork is close to being done; finish the rice and steam the broccoli while the pork rests.
- For a detailed plan with step-by-step instructions and timing, download the Game Plan document linked below:
Saturday October 17 2020 Game Plan
