2 cups Romanesco mix (green beans, carrots and broccoflower)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup dry white wine

1. Bring wine to a boil and stir in butter, mustard and thyme.
2. Add the Romanesco mix and boil until tender, about 5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and scored
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper

1. Prepare a marinade of vinegar, oil, herbs, garlic, salt ad pepper. Marinade pork overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, heat a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Remove the pork from the marinade and place into the hot pan, searing the meat on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
4. Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking until juices run clear, about 20 minutes. Allow meat to rest before slicing.

Makes 4 servings

19 ounces canned broad beans
3 tablespoons orange or pineapple juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon cold water
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper

1. Combine water and corn starch to form a thin paste and add to orange juice and vinegar.
2. Heat the liquid in a small sauce pan over medium heat until it forms a thickened sauce.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add broad beans.
4. Add sauce to the beans and reduce heat to a simmer.
5. Season beans with salt and pepper and allow sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings

Please excuse my brief and somewhat tardy postings for the next couple of weeks, hockey playoffs are on and I find it hard to pull myself away from the Oilers losing in order to update the site. Last night I marinated Balsamic Herb Pork Tenderloin and, despite the large quantity of fresh herbs and marinating time, the only flavor that was really infused in the pork was that of the single clove of garlic. I thought for sure there'd be some sort of caramelized balsamic flavor, but just the garlic. It was still very good, though; tender and juicy.

I've had a can of broad beans in the cupboard for quite some time, but never got around to actually preparing them. I can't say that I'd ever had broad beans before, but I expected something like a lima bean or edamame judging by the color and shape of them on the label. They looked green and firm and large. In the can, however, they were mushy and brown and sort of sprouted. The first recipe I found that sounded somewhat appetizing was Sweet and Sour Broad Beans, so I went with that. The flavor of the beans themselves was sort of off-putting, and the sauce really didn't help all that much. Sweet and sour sauce definitely has its place, but with these beans is not where it should be found.

The first time I tried the Europe's Best Romanesco blend of vegetables I hated it, but was intrigued by the tiny little broccoflowers that come with it. After finishing the bag and being generally displeased, I'm not entirely sure why I bought another one. It's sat in the freezer for several months and I decided to thaw it and make White Wine and Thyme Romanesco Mix. As its name suggests, the flavor is predominately white wine and thyme and, as previous experience would suggest, I was not very satisfied with the results. My side dishes have been scraped to the sidelines (trash bin) and my pork will stick around to fill several sandwiches.