After getting all appled up at the farmers market last week, I was excited to make an apple cider braised pork with apples. The recipe, from Cooks Illustrated (which I love, even that persnickety Chris Kimball), didn’t exactly meet the mark for me to share it with y’all. It sounded incredible on paper, what with apple cider, apples, fresh thyme and pork chops. Oh….and bacon from Cibola Farms. How could that be anything less than stellar, right?
Well, the sauce was a bit too thick and I’d rather finish the pork to medium next time, instead of braising it on the stove top until tender. Perhaps it was the fact that I couldn’t get thick cut bone-in pork chops (which the recipe called for) and used boneless center cut chops instead. Not sure. The chops were a bit dry and that doesn’t cut it for the blog. Not to say we didn’t enjoy it because, you know, bacon in the sauce.
So now the leftovers are gone but the question is: what to do with the rest of the fresh thyme?
Inspired by a couple savory biscuits we were served before a recent dinner at Majestic in Old Town Alexandria, I thought I’d try to make some biscuits with what I had on hand. This recipe combines shredded parmesan with fresh thyme, but feel free to use cheddar if you like, or dried thyme instead of fresh (only cut the amount in half).
This biscuit dough is whipped up in no time using a food processor.
Parmesan Thyme Biscuits
makes 20 2-inch biscuits
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 cup shredded parmesan or cheddar
1 T. fresh thyme, or 1/2 T. dried thyme
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup fage/plain yogurt
1/4 cup milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a food processor combine first three ingredients, pulsing 2-3 times. Add cheese, thyme and shortening. Pulse about a dozen times to incorporate shortening into pea size lumps. Add yogurt and milk. Blend just until a consistent dough forms a ball. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Flour hands and shape dough into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Return dough to floured surface and dust dough and rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll dough into a 12-14 inch disc, starting from the middle and rolling outward in each direction. When the dough is approximately 1/4 inch thick, take a glass or ramekin to use as a template for cutting dough into biscuits. I used a 2 inch wide glass. Transfer each biscuit to a non-stick treated pan or a silicon mat lined pan (I use a Silpat).
Bake biscuits for 15 minutes or until light golden brown on top. Serve with butter.
*WHB- Weekend Herb Blogging is a weekly blogging event sponsored by Kalyn at Kalyn’s Kitchen. This week’s event is hosted by Susan at The Well-Seasoned Cook. Check out this week’s entries!
Tags: weekend herb blogging, Recipe, baking, Uncategorized by Ramona
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Warren Rojas, food writer for Northern Virginia magazine, announced today on Don Rockwell that he will be hosting a weekly food and dining chat Thursday mornings at 11 a.m. The newly upgraded magazine website boasts an expanded Food and Wine section with restaurant archives and reviews, preview menus and feedback forums.
