Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Strawberry Season Brings Another Sweet Treat

Strawberry season got off to a rough start this year with all the freezes but in spite of it all, the berries are some of the sweetest I remember tasting in years past. I usually serve strawberry shortcake throughout the season to my family as well as make a batch of preserves with a recipe that not only preserves the berry but their beautiful red color as well. I'll post that recipe next.

Now, on to that all important last meal of the day. Dinner! A friend suggested I try the “strawberry onion” that’s grown in the fields during the off-season, saying it had a very distinctive and sweet taste. She was right, and I found a great way to serve them along-side a quick and easy entrée for 6.

Pork Chops with Gravy & Onions

½ c. flour
2 ½ teaspoons dry ground mustard
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
6 pork chops (1” thick)
16 oz. chicken broth, heated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 strawberry onion, slice (both the green & white part of the onion)



Combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow dish; dredge chops in mix and set aside. Combine remaining flour mix and heated chicken broth in a 3 ½ quart slow cooker, stirring until lumps are gone. Sauté chops in oil in skillet on medium high just until browned. Place browned chops down in gravy in slow cooker. Sauté sliced onion in pan that chops were cooked in, scraping the bottom of the pan to get the bits & pieces left by the chops. At this point, you may need to add another tablespoon of oil. Sauté until tender. Once onions are cooked to tender, add to slow cooker on top of chops and cook on high for 2-2 ½ hours.

Mashed potatoes are the perfect side dish to serve along side this biscuit-sopping entrée.