Peaches and Herbs...

It may be a semi drought in the Midwest 

and tomorrow may be hot enough to fry an egg 

on the Bean in Millennium Park, 

but the warm spring did jump start the foliage... 

My herb boxes are off and running 

and I am trying to put them to full use...  

The rosemary is healthy 

and a brilliant green... 

It's so good with roast chicken 

with lemons and rosemary...  

Italian parsley just tastes better 

when grown at home... 

I love it in Paula's Marinated Tomatoes...  

The dill has gone to flower, 

but it's still fresh and tasty... 

Who doesn't crave a cucumber sandwich 

with dill this time of year?  

Say a prayer to Mother Nature, 

I have about six tomatoes on the vine...  

Tommy will have to hold guard with his bb gun 

to keep those ratty squirrels at bay... 

Last year they gnawed every last one of my tomatoes... 

Make me want to say things like *$#@!!!  

Okay, I feel better now... 

It's a bad memory....  

The mint is going nuts... 

I'm going to have to rustle up 

some mojitos, pronto.... 

There is a truckload of thyme growing....  

It's so tasty sprinkled on roasted potatoes 

just out of the oven....
   

The best of summer includes basil... 

Last year I made a passle of pesto 

and we enjoyed it well into the fall...    

Not sure if cabbage is in our future...

Some rodent type creature 

made a meal out of its leaves....  

I just planted onions 

around the Senor Cabbage to try and save it....  

Oregano pairs so well with tomatoes....  

This is one of my stand by recipes.  

In fact, it's what's for dinner tonight...  

  

Last night I combined the herbs 

to make Herb Roasted Pork Loin 

with Parsley Shallot Sauce....  

It was soooo tasty 

and very quick and easy to make...  

Hope your herb boxes are full of abundance...  

Use them, share them, enjoy!  

Oh, and to my neighbors, please come and pick!
 

 P.S..... There are no peaches in this post.
 It just sounded good....

Herb Roasted Pork Loin with Parsley Shallot Sauce

Copyright 2005, Ellie Krieger, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

15 min

Cook Time:

1 hr 15 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

8 servings (serving size is 4oz of meat and 1T of sauce)

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (2 1/2-pound) center cut boneless pork loin, trimmed of all visible fat
• 1/2 cup Parsley Shallot Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mash the garlic and salt together with a fork until it forms a coarse paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the oil, fresh herbs and freshly ground pepper. Rub the garlic-herb paste all over the pork. Transfer the pork to a roasting pan and roast for 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the roast to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the pork into slices and serve with the sauce.

Parsley Shallot Sauce:
1 1/2 cups lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallot
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.
Yield: 1/2 cup