This Sage Rubbed Pork Chops, Sweet Potato Puree, Braised Red Cabbage, Cranberry & Honey Crisp Apples Topped with Pistachio Oil is just one of the recipes that Londwood Gardens Executive Chef Jason Belkov was kind enough to share with The Times’ readers this holiday season.
Holiday dining gets festive at Longwood Gardens
By Cathy Branciaroli, Food Correspondent, The Times
At this time of year, local restaurants are making things festive for visiting diners. Some mount elaborate decorations to create a cheerful ambiance for the season. Others prepare special holiday menu items for a memorable experience.
At Longwood Gardens, located near Kennett Square, visitors can enjoy the best of both throughout this holiday season. Christmas is taking flight through bird-themed displays throughout the gardens and conservatory and special menus including tasting flights are being offered in their Restaurant 1906.
Visitors may not know that Longwood offers several dining options on the grounds. In addition to Restaurant 1906, named in honor of the year Pierre S. du Pont purchased the grounds that were developed into the gardens, Longwood offers casual but sophisticated fare at its Terrace Café which is a self-service operation. And, Executive Chef Jason Belkov told me that Longwood feeds thousands of visitors each weekend through catered meals served to busloads of out of town guests. All feature Longwood’s signature creamy mushroom soup, a real hit among visitors.
I asked Chef Jason what he thinks about in developing the holiday menu. Since Longwood’s restaurants are focused on preparing fresh, local ingredients, he said that the emphasis is on seasonal produce, right now including shaved brussel sprouts, braised cabbage and roasted sweet potatoes. And given the visual appeal of the Gardens themselves, he told me that it’s important that the dishes have lots of color on the plate – think bright red cranberries. Finally, he said that the dishes should be simple. For instance the pork chops being featured in this year’s holiday menu are cooked in a cast iron skillet, and the cooking liquid is used to make their sauce.
After an afternoon of walking Longwood’s grounds in the bracing December air, sitting down to a hearty meal like the pork chops or slow cooked beef short ribs, classically braised with red wine and partnered with stone ground grits, sounds like just the right thing. And I can’t wait to try the cheeses from Chester County’s own Doe Run Dairy, located in Coatesville, including their Seven Sisters cheese made from the milk of the dairy’s Jersey cows.
During my recent visit, Chef Jason prepared a sample of the 1906 Restaurant menu and was kind enough to provide recipes for all the dishes. Visitors to Longwood can make reservations for 1906 through Open Table or can stop in at the Terrace Café, which is open from 10AM to 8PM daily. The Gardens are located at 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348. Please not that during the holiday season timed admission tickets are required.
Cathy Branciaroli also writes about her adventures in the kitchen on her blog Delaware Girl Eats
Sage Rubbed Pork Chops, Sweet Potato Puree, Braised Red Cabbage, Cranberry & Honey Crisp Apples Topped with Pistachio Oil,
Courtesy of Chef Jason, Longwood Gardens
Serves 4 for Dinner
Pork Chops
4 Pork Rack Chops 8-10oz each
2 Tbsp Chopped Sage
1 Tsp Salt
¼ Tsp Black Pepper
¼ Cup Olive Oil
1. Marinate the 4 pork rack chops in the sage, salt, pepper and ½ the Oil. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Using a large cast iron skillet pan, sear the pork on high heat 1 to 2 minutes on each side obtaining a golden brown color on each side.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place the pork to cook back in the cast iron skillet. Cook the pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
Sweet Potato Puree
5 Cups Peeled Large Diced Yams
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
¼ Tsp Cinnamon
2 Tsp Salt
1. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into large cubes.
2. Put the sweet potatoes into a medium sauce pot and add cold water to cover.
3. Bring water and sweet potatoes to a simmer and cook until fork tender about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Drain the water off the potatoes and fork mash with the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cream & salt. Reserve for final plate up.
Braised Red Cabbage
½ Head Fine Shredded Red Cabbage
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Black Pepper
1. Split one head of red cabbage in half and remove the core.
2. Fine shred the cabbage using a very sharp knife or mandolin
3. Melt the tablespoon of butter in a sauté pan and add the cabbage. Cook on medium heat continually stirring for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar, cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Continue to cook on a medium heat until sugar is well dissolved and incorporated throughout the cabbage and reserve for later.
Cranberry & Honey Crisp Apple Sauce
2 Honey Crisp Apples, peeled and cut with a melon-baller
1 Cup Fresh Cranberries
1 Cup Cranberry Juice
¼ Tsp Vanilla
½ Cup Granulated Sugar
Pistachio Oil as Needed
1. Measure out all ingredients for the cranberries and applesauce. Put all ingredients in a small sauce pot except for the apples. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Scoop out the apples with a melon baller, reserve in water with the juice of one lemon and set aside.
3. Add the apples to the cranberry liquid immediately after simmering and reserve for later.
