Dinner with Dave

An old long-time dear friend of mine came to stay for a couple of days and it was so nice to have someone who appreciates good food to cook for.  I’ve been learning how to cook for one or two with little or no leftovers and a nice pork tenderloin is perfect for two with enough leftover for a nice sandwich the next day.

We spent the day running errands and we also stopped at the local farmer’s market to pick up some fresh produce.

The menu for our dinner was:

Grilled Mustard Encrusted Pork Loin with a Blueberry, Wine and Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce

Watermelon, Feta Cheese, Pea Tendril Salad with a Lime and Mint vinaigrette

Fresh Steamed Local Corn on the Cob

For the pork loin I salted and peppered to season then spread a thick coat of Dijon mustard on all sides.

I then heated up the grill to high and grilled the pork searing each side for 5 minutes continually turning it until the internal temperature reaches 140F, this takes about 12 to 18 minutes.  Take the meat off the grill, cover with foil and let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes.  Once it is rested cut about 1″ thick pieces on the bias.

While that was on the fire I made the sauce.

In a small sauce pan I put about 1 cup of the fresh blueberries I had picked the other day.  Then added to the berries 1/3 cup of Dry Red Wine, 1 tbsp of good balsamic vinegar, a 1/2 tsp of Kosher Salt and a 1/2 tsp of sugar.  Let it simmer over medium heat until it reduced to half and the berries were broken down.  There is a lot of pectin in the berries so the sauce was thick and delicious.  If you want a more refined sauce you can strain it before spooning over the pork.

To make the Watermelon Salad, I cubed about 2 cups of sweet seedless watermelon,  1/2 cup of fresh feta cheese cut into 1/2 cubes, and a handful of cleaned pea tendrils rough chopped.  I then made a vinaigrette with the zest and juice of one lime, 2 tsp of Balsamic Vinegar, chiffonade about 4-5 leaves of fresh mint  , salt, pepper and whisk it together while adding about a 1/2 cup of fruity Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Toss it all together.

I wish I had taken photos, the blueberry sauce was beautiful AND delicious!  The watermelon salad was fresh and clean.  And let’s face there is nothing better than the first taste of local fresh picked corn on the cob.  This was a perfect summer dinner for two.