Pine cone gathering
My sister and I recently made pine cone garland using pine cones gathered from beneath our trees. All you need are pine cones and green floral wire. Makes for a nice outdoor winter decoration. Pine cone collection can be a little sappy this time of year…better not to do while wearing gloves. Anyone interested in pine cones, let me know.
TIP: If you’re using pine cones inside for a centerpiece, etc. – baking them in the oven on low for a bit will dry them out and take care of the sap.
Tip #2: If you find your hands covered in sap after pine cone collection, making garland, etc. – use mayo to desticky yourself. Thanks Kevin!
On the Table: Kevin and I cooked dinner together Saturday night featuring the last of this year’s garden bounty (Brussels Sprouts). We served them alongside pork tenderloin medallions with a port wine cherry glaze. Here’s a delicious recipe given to me by Susan Stember at the West Windsor Farmers’ Market last summer that’s absolutely worth trying!
Maple Glazed Apple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
2 pounds Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved (or whole if small) – the larger out leaves can be removed.
1/4 pound bacon (here’s where I take a shortcut and purchase Wellshire bacon “crumbles”)
1 medium onion, chopped (optional if you are short on time)
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 cup maple syrup
Directions
1) Place Brussels Sprouts in a steamer basket over 2 to 3 inches of boiling water; cover and steam until soft.
2) Meanwhile in a large skillet over medium high heat, fry bacon until crisp. (If you are using the precooked crumbles – wait and toss these in later.) Remove to paper towels to drain; crumble. Discard all but 2 Tablespoons bacon drippings and saute onion and apple for 5 minutes.
3) Add steamed Sprouts to the pan with the apples, bacon and onions. Continue cooking until nicely glazed and just a bit brown. You many need to turn the heat up briefly to achieve browning. Be careful not to burn though, better they aren’t browned than burned so keep a close eye on them when you crank the heat at the end. Put a fork through a couple of sprouts to test to make sure they are nice and soft before taking off the heat. If you are serving for a group you can always put them in the oven on low heat until ready to serve.
Enjoy!!
