Kitchen Tour + Arugula & Radish Salad w/Warm Braised Pork Belly
radish varieties: french breakfast and icicle
We don’t know what we did right in a previous life, but we sure have been reaping the benefits of it all lately, especially when it comes to blogging. Our blogging has kindled friendships with folks far, wide and nearby that we never would have found otherwise. From bloggers that we have already met to those of you frequent visitors that we have yet to meet, are the reasons why we love blogging.
Jen Yu of Use Real Butter Blog is one of those individuals (and an awesome skier at that!) that brings sunshine to our lives every time we see her rip it up on the snow, chat over emails or in the flesh, or any time we visit her amazing and delicious blog. So when Jen asked us to share our kitchen as part of her Blogger Kitchen Tour Series, there was only one probable answer——YES YES YES YES!
As part of our kitchen tour, we talked a lot about the influences of our two kitchens: our indoor one and our outdoor garden kitchen (aka our Victory Garden.) Both of these play an equal part in our everyday culinary lives. We spend as much time outside growing, prepping, cooking and entertaining in our garden kitchen as we do in our inside kitchen.
So, to keep it short and sweet, please head on over to Jen’s blog to get a tour of our kitchen!
As part of the photographs for this kitchen tour, we gathered the garden vegetables and highlighted what is currently exploding in the garden now. This week there were some amazing arugula and various kinds of radishes ready to be devoured. In particular, the arugula must have been on crack or something because it is growing at a faster rate than we can eat it. Before we knew it, it was flowering like a madman, shooting up spikes of beautiful flowers in every single direction. Even with the flowers, the leaves were surprisingly not bitter at all, but rather, just as delicately peppery as when they were as tiny seedlings. The crazy radishes have grown like weeds and within 5 weeks, we have full fledged radishes that are ready for harvest.
A quick note about the salad. The braised pork is similar to a Chinese Red Pork. The pork is good on it’s own or with rice or noodles, but it really comes alive with the arugula and radishes. The contrast of the warm pork and braising sauce against the fresh, slight pepperiness of the arugula and radishes is utterly delectable. If the arugula has a mean bite, mix in some lettuce to give the salad a bit more balance. The warm braising sauce and the pork belly will wilt the arugula salad slightly, so top the salad only right when you are ready to serve. This dish has quickly become one of our favorite Victory Garden recipes.
(above): arugula explosion of tender leaves & flowers
(below): tender, french breakfast variety of radishes
We’ll see you over at Jen’s blog to get a tour of our kitchen. Teaser- we have pictures of the pups over there too!
Arugula & Radish Salad with Braised Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Pork Belly (skin removed)(pork shoulder/butt works too)
- water to cover
- 2 -inch ginger , thinly sliced
- 8 cloves garlic (smacked with flat of knife)
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth
- 1/2 cup sake
- 1/2 cup Maggi Seasoning (or soy sauce - reduce amount slightly if using regular soy sauce)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- baby arugula leaves
- 2-3 radishes (sliced into coins or halved)
Instructions
- Cut the pork belly into 3/4" cubes. Put pork belly in saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
- Strain and rinse pork belly. Rinse pan, put pork back in pan with ginger, garlic, water, sake, dry vermouth, and maggi or soy sauce seasoning.
- Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, then simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add brown sugar, and simmer for another 30 minutes (stirring occasionally.)
- Test cooked pork belly to is see if it the pork is tender. Simmer longer if needed.
- Serve on a bed of baby arugula with sliced radishes. Dress with juices from braise.
Your kitchen is beautiful! I love it. I love everything about it. Especially the doggies – they are the cutest ever!
The recipe looks fantastic, though I’m always tempted to go simple with French breakfast radishes and eat them for breakfast (with Maldon salt and sweet butter and some Poilane style bread.)
I’m dreaming of having a garden like yours. Love the kitchen and the dogs are so cute.
Chez US – Thanks. Be careful when using pork belly. It is highly addictive and you will crave it incessantly.
Jen – Maggi seasoning is more or less a type of soy sauce. We always get ours from the Asian supermarkets, although occasionally we will see it it regular grocers. It’s a little less salty than regular soy sauce, although it still has a full, well-balanced flavor. Go pork belly!
Happy Cook – Sorry, we would never burden anyone with our two troublemakers. They only look incredibly cute and adorable. Well, actually, they are cute and adorable, we can’t give ’em up! Thanks for the compliments.
HappyTummy – What a cute name you have! Thank you very much for the compliments.
Julia – Let us know how you like the dish when you get to make it. Good luck on the radishes. They may go crazy!
Jesse – Sierra is in constant need of affection. She’s just pulling the “love me!” look. Trouble we tell you! Pure Trouble! We are in love with palm sugar too. I melt every time I open the jar and smell them!
jen! – Yuuuuuuu. Love ya Jen. Thanks for all the work in hosting these tours. It may look easy on the outside, but you put a crapload of work into organizing it. Now go ski!!!! xoxoxox
joey – Thank you. Pork belly is the magic cut! Oh how we love it, let us count the ways….
Quyen – It is pure magic. We are excited about our little radishes. Diane keeps eating them faster than they can plump up!
Phoo-D – Thank you very much. Jen is incredible in her kitchen tour hosting.
matt – We are still trying to figure out what we want to be when we grow up, too. Ask away anytime! The weather should be getting closer for you guys to get started soon. Can’t wait to see what you put in it!
Sil – Thank you very much.
Thanks for visiting everyone. If you haven’t yet, make sure you go over to Jen and UseRealButter.com and give her some love. She’s incredible! Todd.
First time I write to you although I’ve been reading your blog for a while. You’re amazing! Love your recipes, the pictures, the pups, the garden and your beautiful kitchen! Thank you for the great time you give us with your blog. Cheers!
When I grow up I want to be you guys. Love your kitchen, and your garden. I am going to be quizzing you guys on garden stuff as soon as we build some raised beds! Victory garden here we come!!
Maggi is magic, if you ask me. You look as gorgeous as those radishes.
I only started liking radishes recently, but now i have to have them on my salads. love the peppery bite they give. I couldn’t imagine how wonderful they’d taste straight out of the garden, super fresh!
I have really enjoyed following Jen’s kitchen tours – though I have to say your kitchen is in a league of its own! Beautiful and fresh – just like the two of you and your website. Love it!
Lovely post and lovely garden…oh my kingdom for an outdoor kitchen garden!
The words “braised pork belly” always put me under a spell! Love it!
Hey you two! Thank you so very much for being part of the kitchen tour (and thank the pups too – they are the cutest). Love seeing your garden every chance I get. Love seeing YOU any chance I get. Come visit anytime. We leave for the mountain in 45 minutes. Lots of snow 🙂 I’ll try to save some for you, D! xxoo
That recipe looks great! I just planted radishes for the first time this year — but I have a few more weeks/months before I see anything. At least I know what to prepare with them!
you have a beautiful blog, and beautiful kitchen.
i love dianne’s story in the about section. as a first-gen’er myself, i could totally relate.
love your blog!
I love your vent! It’s the prettiest, most unique vent I’ve ever seen. And the pups, awwwwhhh *melts* Sierra always looks so sad!!! If I’m ever fortunate enough to visit, I’d spend the whole day hugging her I think. Mmm, that sauce sounds fabulous… anything with palm sugar in it is a definite winner in my books!
Just came back from your kitchen in jen place, i want to have your kitchen, so oredered, preactical, clean and beautiful.
If you give me the kitchen i want dante and sierra too 🙂
yum! two of my favorite things — radishes and slow cooked pork! I’ve never heard of Maggi seasoning — any suggestions where to buy it? is it a liquid? a powder?
Great post, Diane & Todd. I have yet to try my hand at cooking Pork Belly – you two make it seem so easy!! This recipe sounds like the perfect Spring time recipe for just that. Maybe a good dish for Easter!
Got to head over to Use Real Butter now …..
xx oo