Resourcefulness Under Quarantine

What do you do with liver, onions and bacon leftover from dinner a couple of nights ago?    You really can’t reheat it.  It would be over-done and tough.  Ugh.          

So I cut it-up along with the onions and a couple of slices of cooked bacon and threw it in the Cuisinart.  Add 6T of unsalted butter (cold), a little chopped garlic along with a pinch of shallot, fresh cracked pepper and sea salt and a shooter of brandy from the Fatherland.   

*For the duration for the emergency it's OK for the cook to have a snort too.      

Purée until smooth. 
      

Voila!  

Homemade liver pâté.        

Another first for this guy and Jill says it is really, really yummy.  I'm having some later - on saltines with a fine Merlot out of a box. 

Life under quarantine can be the Mother of Invention.          

Hat-tip to Jacques Pépin for the inspiration.

Porkulus (Updated)

Rains overnight and this morning look like they may begin to abate.  We'll see.  My pal Braumeister has been out hunting deer from a ground blind since early morning.  He texted me to say that he is mostly dry.

I slept-in until 8, stoked the wood stove, performed some household tasks and threw together a deer camp-style crock pot supper.  Something that could cook while we're both out hunting the close of the day and be ready to serve after darkness falls.

Two cans of sweet (with caraway seeds), Bavarian style kraut, three Marchant's loin pork chops, one garden onion and a Mettwurst (also from Marchant's).

Rubbed the chops with Spice House Quebec rub and browned them in a skillet. Layered one can of kraut in the cooker, topped with the chops and onion (cut in eighths).  Second can of kraut over all topped with the Mettwurst.  If all goes according to plan this should cook-down into some kraut-infused goodness.  Yummy porkulus.

I'll likely pan-fry some German butterball potatoes fresh from the garden to accompany the one pot main course.

Fingers crossed...

  
Edit to add - Braumeister returned for lunch and said to add some smoked ribs to the pot.

  
Very nice result.  If I had to do it over I would put all the meat on the bottom and bury it under the kraut.  Maybe even throw a few juniper berries over the top.

Braumeister suggested smashed German Butter Ball spuds.  Good pick for almost a one pot, melt in your mouth meal.  My Western European/German forebears would be proud....

Artistic Inspiration

Last weekend The First Mate and Mrs. First Mate stayed here to watch over our Labs while we were away.  I hear there was some porch sitting and wine drinking (which makes perfectly good sense to me).  In the process inspiration was found.

Check this out...

click on image to enlarge

Missus First Mate sketched this very cool rendering of the old barn and some of the flowers bordering the porch of the house.

I believe it is frame-worthy.