Organic Cooking and Drinking 101

Hi Boys and Girls!

You probably know I love organic foods. Tonight's dinner was extra special...and it took a whopping 20 minutes to make!

Start off with a shopping trip to Whole Foods http://www.wholefoods.com/ or other natural foods store. Our store in Austin has 3 floors but I only make through the 1st floor most of the time! If you go on a Saturaday, you will enjoy lots of free samples. Like the Hawaiin beer http://www.konabrewingco.com/. It is a limited release only September thru April, so I was told. Look for Pipeline, Porter Made with 100% Kona Coffee. Coffee in beer you say? Yes! It is really great! I just wish I had a pastrami sandwich to go with my sample! Of course, I bought a 6-pack and will go back for more before April. OK, back to the dinner.

• Organic mustard greens ($1.99 each. Can you believe that?)
• Organic sweet potatoes
• Farm raised, organic pork chop from Richardson Farms (http://www.richardsonfarms.com/) which is local but Whole Foods sells organic, hormone-free meat products.
• Organic bottle of Stellar Merlot with no sulfites from Africa.

1. First wash and start to steam the sweet potatoes. I use a steaming rack.

2. When sweet potatoes are about half done (test with a fork) start heating the BBQ or George Foreman Grill http://www.georgeforemangrill.net/. I used the G.F. grill this time. I sprayed both top and bottom with Pam and sprinkled Mrs. Dash Extra Spicey on each side of the pork chop http://www.mrsdash.com/.
This is hard to find for me in this area. However, I found it at Wal-Mart and bought all they had! You can order it on-line but the shipping is cost prohibitive. Pre-heat grill 5 minutes. If using a gas BBQ grill, pre-heat same but cook pork chop on cool side of grill with heat on the other side. If using coals, you know what to do. OK, in case you do not, coals are ready when they turn grey...about 20 minutes after lighting. Pork Chop will take longer to cook on outside grills. Use your digital meat thermometer to test for doneness.

3. While the grill is warming up, sweet potatoes are steaming nicely, prepare your mustard greens.

Wash and pat dry. In a large-size saute pan, warm 1 TBL virgin olive oil. Put in 1-2 garlic cloves, chopped and one small onion chopped. Saute for about 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
4. Put chop on G.F. grill and close. Set for 5 minutes.
5. Put greens into pan with sauteed onions and garlic. Add 1 TBL Basalmic vinegar. Cover.
6. Set table, pour your wine and when you hear the "ding" you are ready to eat.

Enjoy! As a side-note, the basalmic vinegar left in the pan is great on the sweet potatoes! No need to add butter.

If you are as fortunate as I am, you will have dessert of Pineapple Upside Down Cake! My daughter made a wonderful dinner Sunday of skewered beef (flank steak), saffron rice and pineapple upside down cake. I got to bring some leftovers home!

Until next time, remember to eat your greens!