Dinner Colaberation

It's been far, far to long since I have update my blog.  My apologies friends.  I pledge to make food, writing and this blog a bigger priority.  So my first post in a long time will be a simple one, a good dinner with good friends.  I have a lot of friends here that appreciate great food but very few that have the know how or appreciation for cooking great food.  So when I was invited to cook with a friend and her aunt, who is an amazing C.I.A. (Culinary Institute of American) instructor chef I jumped at the chance.
As is my habit, we waited til the absolutely last second to finalize our menu.  What we came up with was a herb crusted stuff pork loin with a warm spinach and bacon salad.  Our guest chef surprised us with sausage and pepper croquettes that were the perfect complement to the meal.  For dessert?  Caramelized peaches with french vanilla ice cream.

The dinner was delicious, the company great, overall a wonderful night of food and friends.  If your looking for an evening as nice as mine, try these recipes, just add friends!

Ingredients:

Pork
2 lb Pork Loin (the actual loin not the tenderloin)
 -score the fat on the outside with deep 'X' shaped marks.  Insert a knife into the center of the loin, using a honing steel, widen the hole until there is a hollow center to the pork, for stuffing. 
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
 -grind these four ingredients together in a mortar and pestle, rub 2/3rds of mixture on the pork, save the rest for the stuffing.

Stuffing
1/2 a loaf french bread, cubed and lightly toasted
2 white onions, sliced thinly
5 cloves of garlic, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely sliced
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 
-heat a little olive oil in a skillet and add above ingredients, minus the bread and balsamic vinegar and add the remaining fennel mixture.  Once the onions are translucent and soft, add the balsamic.  remove the mixture from heat and add the bread.  When the bread mixture has cooled stuff it into the hollowed out pork.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 mins (internal temp of 145 or higher). 


Warm Spinach and Bacon Salad
 2 bags prepared spinach, cleaned
2 red onions, sliced thinly
1/2 cup walnuts, crushed
-mix together in a large bowl, set aside
 1 lb bacon, cook, cool and crumble, reserving bacon fat
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
 -add crumbed bacon to the spinach mixture.  Warm reserved bacon grease over low heat, slowly stir in brown sugar then vinegar.  Pour over spinach mixture and serve immediately.   


Peaches and Cream
5-6 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced.  set aside.
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
-create a simple syrup with the water and sugar (bring to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat).  add the cinnamon sticks.  In a glass or ceramic baking dish, pour syrup over the peaches.  Just enough to coat, do not drown them.  Bake for 30 mins in a 350 degree oven.  Serve warm over a scoop of french vanilla ice cream.