Fresh Eats

Dishes for Mom

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

by Loren Shaum

This is a sweet, moist bread that’s a treat any time — it’s even excellent as a dessert. And, of course, it’s a great accompaniment to any spring brunch to make the moms in our world feel a little extra special.

For the bread:

22⁄3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 ½ teaspoons double-acting baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ¼ cup poppy seeds 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened 1 ¼ cups sugar 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla 3 large eggs 1⁄3 cup milk

Butter for greasing For the syrup:

½ cup fresh lemon juice ½ cup sugar Garnish:

Powdered sugar and lemon zest

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the poppy seeds.

In another large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Then, beat-in the zest and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, and finally the milk. Continue beating the mixture until it is well combined, then add the flour mixture and beat batter until it is just combined. Preheat oven to 350° F.

Divide batter among four buttered and floured loaf pans, each 5 3⁄4 x 3 ¼ x 2-inches.

Bake breads in the middle of oven for 45 minutes, or until a test pick comes out clean when inserted in the center of each loaf.

To prepare the syrup: Combine lemon juice and the sugar in a small sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and keep the syrup warm.

When the breads are done, immediately poke the tops of each loaf all over with a skewer. Brush each loaf with some of the syrup. Allow the breads to cool slightly in the pans so they can easily be removed. Set loaves on their sides on a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet. Poke all sides all over with the skewer. Brush the breads with remaining syrup and let them cool, right side up, then brush tops again with syrup.

Garnish with lemon zest and gently press into loaf top. When completely cool, sprinkle powdered sugar over, slice and serve.

If not serving immediately, reserve the powdered sugar, wrap in both plastic wrap and foil, and allow them to stand overnight. The breads keep well and can be chilled for a week or frozen for a month.

Just before serving, dust the top of each loaf with powdered sugar, slice and serve.

and Dad

Dad will thank you.

As summer approaches, thoughts turn to grilling. What to grill next is the question? Pork chops are the one cut that everyone enjoys, and this brine still stands as one of the best for seasoning this sometimesbland cut of meat. It also works on pork tenderloin and some steak cuts, like flatiron, flank and skirt. I prefer chops that are three-quarters to an inch think so they don’t curl when sitting on a hot grill. If your chops are thinner, slit them about an inch long towards the bone at the widest point. Serves four.

For the brine:

½ cup bourbon ½ cup soy sauce ¼ cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 4, ¾-inch center-cut pork chops (leave fat intact) Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Bourbon-brined Grilled Pork Chops with Tangy Mustard Sauce

by Loren Shaum

For the sauce:

1⁄3 cup sour cream ½ cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon powdered mustard 2 tablespoons grated yellow onion ½ teaspoon white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon butter, melted Red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

Combine the first five brine ingredients with the chops in a sealable, plastic container and marinate overnight. When ready, remove the loin and pat dry with paper towels. Reserve brine. Bring the pork to room temperature, for about 45 minutes.

Prepare the sauce by whisking all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with red pepper flakes.

Oil cleaned grill grates and heat grill on high heat. Fill a smoke box with your choice of wood chips. Allow the chips to smoke before grilling the chops. Note: I use crab apple tree chips from trees in the yard. Soak them in water for an hour.

Season chops on both sides with a pinch each of salt and pepper and press into the flesh.

Grill chops for three minutes to form grill marks, then rotate them 90-degrees and grill for three more minutes, or so. Flip the chops, reduce heat to low, cover grill and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle reads 140˚ F, basting three or more times with the reserved brine. Note: If using thinner chops, grill about half the time before flipping.

Remove to a platter, tent with foil and rest for ten minutes.

To Serve: Spoon some sauce on serving plates and place a chop on top.

Serve immediately with rosemaryscented grilled potatoes and grilled asparagus.

Lake Country Fresh Eats will appear in each issue of LakeLife Magazine. Columnist Loren Shaum is an automation engineering consultant, retired pilot, author, sometime professor, home gardener and an occasional chef. He and his wife,