Monday, October 19, 2015

Election Day, Drayton Festival Theatre.

Today, Monday, is election day. I had originally decided to work for them but with all Matt's skin cancer stuff going on I had to back out. Pity. Particularly I was definitely unable to go for the training session. Do you notice, my American friends, how short a time this campaign has been going on, whereas your campaign will be continuing for another year? Not that that would worry me if we didn't get all your political ads on the TV stations shown up here.  Luckily we don't watch that much TV any more so it doesn't bother me as much as it did.

Tomorrow, a friend and I are going to see The Pirates of Penzance at a local theatre in St. Jacobs. There are actually two theatres there. I have never been to this one. We have a wonderful theatrical group in the area, I have mentioned them before, The Drayton Festival Theatre. They stage plays in several theatres in different towns. Very professionally acted or sung, depending what they are showing. I have seen shows there I had never seen before and these days I find the local big theatre, Centre in the Square, a bit beyond our price range.  They do get some of the bigger names there but generally not a lot that I want to see anyway. When Sir Elton John came to town he had to go to the local arena as there wasn't a big enough theatre to hold his audience. We did not go to see him. The Drayton group perform in small theatres which are often converted churches or school house. I see they are doing Aladdin at Christmas. They are doing shows like this, copying the English pantomime format, at Christmas and have done so for years now.

We always have pork loins and are often looking for good recipes. This sounds like one.


Thyme-Basted Pork Tenderloin with Oyster Mushrooms

This easy Parisian dish combines juicy pan-roasted pork tenderloin, meaty mushrooms and an
enticing, crunchy topping of walnuts, shallot and chives.

  • Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
  • One 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 garlic cloves, 2 minced and 2 crushed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 2 large thyme sprigs
  • Toasted walnuts, for garnish
  • Chopped shallot, for garnish
  • Chives, for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the grapeseed oil until shimmering. Season the pork with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and roast the pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 135°, 18 to 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until golden, about 15 minutes. Add the minced garlic and the parsley and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.
  3. Set the pork over moderate heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, the crushed garlic and the thyme to the skillet and cook until the butter is foamy. Baste the meat with the butter just until the butter browns, 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cut into thick slices. Spoon the mushrooms onto a platter, top with the pork and drizzle with the brown butter. Garnish with walnuts, shallot, chives and flaky salt and serve.      



Have a great day
 

30 comments:

  1. Hey Jo, I know it's none of my business, but I can't help thinking how many homeless could be fed, how many hospital beds could be staffed and how many charities could be helped instead of American politicians jetting all over the country for...how long again? Australian elections are only able to go for 6 weeks, and hello, that's plenty! I'm with you!

    Oh, that dish would do quite nicely for dinner tonight!

    Denise :-)

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    1. I do agree with you Denise. I never really understand why their election process takes so long. Ours in Canada is very short by comparison. I suppose it does give employment for a lot of people during that period. Hope you enjoy the pork.

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  2. Hi Jo - and people have been complaining about your elections ... yes elections are a bit much. Glad yours will be decided today. Enjoy the theatre ... Gilbert and Sullivan are such fun to watch and listen to ... them Pirates will be a great comic opera .. enjoy ... that pork does look good ..cheers Hilary

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    1. Our elections are pretty quick, more like the British ones. I am looking forward to Pirates - I have read the libretto but never seen it performed. I like Gilbert and Sullivan very much though.

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  3. I loathe our election process. The Hillary and Jeb commercials have already started. By this time next year I'll be pulling my hair out. So anyway, not sure who you support but I hope Justin Trudeau wins your election. Even the other guy - Mulcair is it? - would be better than Stephen Harper! Have fun at Pirates! I saw the movie in the 80s.

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    1. I'm not surprised JoJo. I am surprised you don't like Harper. There seem to be a lot of people who don't like him. Looking forward to the theatre.

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  4. Running for office here is a job - they get paid billions! Silly, stupid, and a waste, but hey, that's the American way!
    Enjoy the theater!

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    1. It's a job here Yolanda too. And a very lucrative one.

      I will, thanks. Not til tomorrow of course.

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  5. I saw that play years ago done by children as a summer musical theater production; very cute and enjoyed it immensely; hope you and your friend have fun with it! It can be so weary by the end of the campaigns here with all the mudslinging the candidates do, especially towards the end. I would think a shorter political season would be a good thing!

    betty

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    1. Sounds good Betty. I never have seen it performed. I can imagine, we get tired and it's nothing to do with us.

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  6. Oh yes, believe you me, we're both already sick of the election. I don't even subscribe to TV service anymore and I still see it constantly. There's just no way to avoid it.

    And you know what, I actually have a pork tenderloin in my freezer that I've been wanting to use, especially with my fresh thyme growing in the garden. Just wasn't sure what to do with it. Once again you have the perfect recipe to save the day. I've never tried using walnuts as a topping. I may have to give this recipe a go.

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    1. As I said, we don't watch TV much anyway. Thank goodness.

      Glad to be of service with the pork tenderloin recipe Bryan. Be good with those potatoes you made the other day.

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  7. Enjoy the play! Wish our political ads would end soon, but it's only going to get worse.

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    1. Not til tomorrow Alex. I couldn't stand it. When we lived in NC it used to drive us bonkers, trouble is it still does in Canada.

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  8. You're so right about the dreadful dragging out of political campaigns here. My husband loves pork dishes but I haven't made one in a while.

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    1. Well pork tenderloins are good eating Susan. He would enjoy this one.

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  9. So far the presidential race has kept me interested, but with a year to go I don't know if it will continue to hold interest or maybe it will get even more interesting. Looks like another crazy year ahead in the U.S.

    I haven't been to a theater production in years. Sounds like fun.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

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    1. I'm afraid politics bore me rigid Lee. Although it is interesting to see Donald Trump in the race.

      I love the theatre and don't go often enough.

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  10. Aladdin would be a wonderful show to see.

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    1. I'm very fond of pantomimes Diane. When well done, they are so very clever.

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  11. Our election preliminaries are pretty quick here in Australia. We always vote on a Saturday, though, never during the week, but you can go to one of the electoral offices and put in an early vote if you want to.
    Enjoy 'The Pirates of Penzance'. Gilbert and Sullivan were such a clever pair, weren't they.

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    1. You can vote early here too, Helen, if you are not available on election day.

      I have always enjoyed Gilbert and Sullivan.

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  12. This may come as a surprise to you Jo, but I once took part in musical theatre. I was in Camelot! I was more of a theatre actress because I can't sing, but I snuck into the chorus of a few productions!

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    1. Not really Pinky. I was very involved in theatre at one time but never got into a musical. No voice. I was at drama school, night classes, for a number of years.

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  13. Replies
    1. It was Ivy, musical actually. Or operetta perhaps.

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  14. Glad our elections are all over with. I would hate to have it drag on like the U.S. does. I had no idea Elton John came to such a small place but that`s kind of cool. Love this recipe and marking it down

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    1. So am I Birgit, yes, can you imagine, a whole year of it, at least. Kitchener's not that small. Yes, I am planning it for this weekend.

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  15. Most of us would just as soon not have to put up with two years' worth of campaigning, either. I'm already sick of hearing about the candidates, and they still haven't bothered to ask me who I want. (I'll give you a hint: none of the above.)

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  16. Maybe you should organize a protest of some kind John. If most people can't stand it, surely most people would join a protest. How about a Million Man march !!!! None of the above is how I felt about our election just gone.

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