The pandemic has certainly made my days and weeks disappear. Has it really been almost 11 months since our children went to school?
Last January, would we understand the phrase “remote learning”? What the heck is Zoom?
Was it time to sign up for Stone Acres’ CSA? How many times had I sworn to myself as I walked back to my car, having forgotten a mask?
Most seasons used to involve food. April meant that first sweet radish, sliced thin on sweet buttered French bread. The first salad made with soft Boston lettuce. The first platter of fried clams or a lobster roll sitting outside at Captain Scott’s or Fred’s Shanty or the Clam Castle. A hamburger or hot dog in someone’s yard on Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. Playing boules on summer Sundays.
Sure, I have cooked a lot. Honestly, I have cooked more than I ever thought I would. But so little of what I have cooked has been very seasonal.
Fortunately, I made corn chowder with corn I froze two summers ago. I didn’t bake as much since I’d had no dinner parties and I was afraid I’d eat that pie in two days. Why open a bottle of wine when I would forget it in the refrigerator?
And here I am, foraging in the big freezer in the garage. Wow, a pork roast dated 2019. I always made a pork roast on the last cool day in October. Here it is, almost February 2021, and I hadn’t made one yet.
But here it is. It’s a big one, enough for six to eight people. At the end of the recipe, I tell you how to make casseroles out of the rest.
Roast Pork for Two Meals
There is only one problem with this great pork and sauerkraut dinner: the pork is roasted over the sauerkraut, so you can’t make gravy from scratch. I use one of the gravy mixes you can buy at the market, preferably Knorr. To make a leftover casserole, make extra vegetables and mashed potatoes.
Serves 2; the casserole will feed 4 to 6
1 large can of sauerkraut
6-pound pork loin, bone-in; make sure butcher breaks chine so chops are easy to cut apart
salt and pepper, to taste
24 ounces apple sauce
2 to 3 pounds Yukon potatoes
Fresh vegetables (broccoli, carrots, Brussels sprouts, beans, peas or a combination)
2 envelopes gravy mix
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. In the sink, place sauerkraut in a colander. With your hands, twist water out of the kraut as much as you can.
In a large Pyrex baking dish, form sauerkraut into a flat loaf with your hands. Put the pork loin, bone down, onto the kraut. Season with salt and pepper. Place pork and sauerkraut onto the oven and cook for 1½ to 2 hours.
Remove from the oven and, using two big forks, put kraut into another baking pan, placing the pork back onto the Pyrex baking dish. Mix apple sauce with sauerkraut in the smaller pan, and place both pans into oven. Bake for another hour.
While pork and kraut bake, make your mashed potatoes, vegetables and gravy mix. Serve together.
After dinner, create the casserole in a freezer-safe, oven-safe container by layering the dish with mashed potatoes, vegetables, sauerkraut and small chunks of pork; pour leftover gravy on top. Place casserole into a jumbo zippered plastic bag and freeze. When ready to serve, thaw, remove zippered plastic bag and roast in a 350 degree oven until hot. Serve with fresh gravy and apple sauce.
On the Side
I so miss going to a restaurant for dinner. By the time you read this, I will have gotten my first vaccine dose and, by Feb. 16, I will have had my last. Where to go first? Alforno in Old Saybrook.
For almost a year, the Zemmel family has been serving takeout meals to those of us who loved their food, but in December they decided to close for January. I was so happy to see that, as of Jan. 29, they will be open for lunch and dinner. The outdoor patio is covered in plastic drapes and warmed with multiple heaters; the inside room is ready for distance dining. Many of my favorites (the meatballs, bean soup, housemade pasta and sauces) will be served inside (but also available for takeout). As soon as health caretakers say I can go out for dinner, I'll be there.
Alforno
1654 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook
(860) 399-4166
Lee White lives in Groton. She can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.
The Link LonkFebruary 02, 2021 at 03:02AM
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Lee's Kitchen: Roast pork is a double-duty dinner - theday.com
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