This month's 5 Star Makeover was very exciting for all the participants, as we got to visit our local farmers' markets. The challenge was to make gourmet dishes using only simple ingredients purchased at our markets (other than the basic pantry items).
The farmers' market that's the closest to me is at Fairfax Corner, Fairfax, Virginia. It is a brand new market, opened just two years ago, and hosted by Smart Markets, Inc. This enterprise is providing guaranteed producer-only markets, supporting local small farms and sustainable agriculture and educating the local families about real food. Unlike the Fairfax County markets which are only open May through October, the Smart Markets are year-round, held inside during colder months.
The items I picked up here included boneless pork loin, zucchini, yellow tomatoes, basil, farm fresh butter, and yogurt.
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In addition, I picked up a very unique local Virginia Wildwood's Hickory syrup at a farmers' market in Loudon County, VA during our wine tasting excursion in June. Extracted from hicory trees, this syrup is very delicate, a bit less sweet than maple syrup, and features wonderful hints of smokiness.
I decided to cut the pork loin into little medallions and prepare the medallions on a grill with a hicory syrup glaze. I served the medallions with a "napoleon" of zucchini and yellow tomato slices, sauteed in farm fresh butter, with the basil-yogurt sauce between the vegetable layers. The tangy flavors of the yogurt comlimented the buttery flavors of the vegetables and as well as the sweet and smoky natural flavors of the pork medallions enhanced further by the hickory syrup glaze.
Ingredients: (8 small plate servings or 2 main course servings)
1 small boneless pork loin, cut in 8 medallions, about 1/2 inch thick each
1/2 cup Hickory syrup
1/4 cup farm fresh butter, melted
Additional butter for sauteeing the vegetables
1 zucchini, sliced in thin rounds
2 yellow tomatoes, sliced in thin rounds
6 ounces plain yogurt
2-3 tablespoons basil, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt, pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine butter and hickory syrup together in a small bowl. Grill pork medallions for about 30 seconds on each side or until the grill marks appear. Brush with hickory syrup glaze and grill for about 1-2 minutes more on each side or until cooked through. Brush with additional glaze and let the medallions rest for a few minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, melt about 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Saute tomato slices for 30 seconds to a minute per side, just until they begin to brown. Add more butter and saute zucchini slices for about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.
In a bowl, combine yogurt, basil, and lemon juice.
To serve: Place a yellow tomato slice in the center of each plate, spread a spoonful of yogurt-basil mixture, and top with a slice of zucchini. Spread another spoonful of yogurt-basil mixture and repeat with another slice of zucchini and yellow tomato. Top with a pork medallion, pour a little bit of leftover hickory syrup glaze over, and top with a dollop of yogurt-basil sauce.
Please come back this Friday for the Farmers' Market 5 Star Makeover round up to check out what everyone else in the group has made!
