PORK CHOPS and ASPARAGUS

There was always a slop pail in the kitchen for the pigs, but they were never pets on the farm. 

Come fall it was time to catch the first pig; not easy -- they’re fast and they’re strong.

Dispatched, the pig could be hoisted and dipped in boiling water before being scraped.  A better way, resulting in tastier skin, would be to cover the pig with straw and burn it before the scraping.

When winter came, frozen meat would keep nicely in a granary, but, before then, the meat was stored in Melnyk’s Locker Plant in Birtle

I remember a lot of fried pork chops because that was Dad’s favourite.   

Savella has a fancy take on this:  


Nachinyoovani Svinyachi Kotleti (Stuffed Pork Chops) – absolutely delicious!


4 rib pork chops, 1 inch thick
1 tbsp grated onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp chopped dill
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp butter
1 cup soft bread crumbs (I used rye)
3 tbsp milk
2 more tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1/4 cup sour cream


1.  Remove bone from the chops.
2.  Cut a large pocket into each chop.
3.  Cook the onion in the butter.
4.  Add the celery and cook a little.  Then turn off the heat but leave pan on the element.
5.  Fill the pockets with the stuffing and sew them up.
6.  Pat the chops dry with paper towels.
7.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
8.  Heat oil and 2 tbsp butter in large frying pan.
9.  Brown the chops on both sides.
10.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add the cream.
11.  Cover and cook in the oven for 45 minutes.
12.  Remove string and serve.

My brother contributed some Holubtsi (Cabbage Rolls) he had made and I also followed Savella’s recipes for:

Zapikanka z Kalafiora (Baked Cauliflower)

Morkva Vipechena oo Cmetani (Baked Creamed Carrots)

For the asparagus I used my own recipe because it never fails.  I was interested, however, in Savella’s comment that, in the 16^th century, an Englishman observed bountiful amounts of asparagus growing in Ukraine!

PERFECT ASPARAGUS

1.  Wash asparagus.
2. Slice a stalk into 3 inch lengths.  Keep the tip separate from the other pieces.  Peel the bottom-most length.
3. Repeat with other stalks.  Keeping the tips separate, you will end up with 2 piles on a plate.
4. Bring ½ inch of water to a boil in a saucepan with ½ tsp salt.
5. Put pieces, except tips, in the boiling water, cover, and cook 2 minutes.
6. Add tips, cover, and cook 3 minutes.
7. Drain and serve with butter, hollandaise, sauce, etc.