72: Veal Chops / Tomato-Olive Jus / Rainbow Chard & Strawberry Salad / Parmesan Saffron Orzo

I’ve wanted rectangular plates with ramekins for a minute now, but I was waiting for them to go on sale at Sur La Table or World Market before buying them. Amber beat me to it, and she surprised me with a set this past week. I thought this was a good excuse to make a nice dinner, as if I needed an excuse.

I picked up some veal chops, orzo, and rainbow swiss chard, and then I set out to make a meal. Dinner tonight is amazingly flavorful. Each element builds upon the next, ranging from familiar to exotic, sour and tangy to bitter and sweet. The mildly rich texture of the veal is perfect for the acidic tomato and olive jus, swiss chard and strawberry salad, and the saffron orzo that takes on a gourmet mac and cheese feel with a flavor lift right at the end of the palette courtesy of the saffron.

Drink chardonnay with this dinner, and you will be utterly pleased with the entire experience.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 veal chops, 1 inch thick

10 grape tomatoes, left whole

3/4 cup orzo

1/3 cup Greek olive mix, diced

2 tbsp rosemary and thyme, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup orzo

Pinch of saffron

1 cup rainbow chard, chiffonade

2 strawberries, sliced into 8 pieces total

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp butter

Olive oil

Salt + pepper

Veal—Pat chops dry and dredge chops through 2/3 of the herbs and salt and pepper. Press seasoning into each side.  Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking, Now add chops and sauté them for 4 minutes per side. Don’t move veal while it’s cooking. Transfer to a plate after browning each side.

Sauce—Add garlic to skillet with another tbsp of olive oil and cook over moderate heat, stirring, 30 seconds. Garlic should be fragrant now. Add the wine, tomatoes, olives, remaining herbs, and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes. Gently press on tomatoes with spatula or spoon after 5 minutes. They should collapse easily.  Simmer for the remaining five minutes while stirring occasional.

Orzo—Boil well-salted water, and add orzo once water reaches a rolling boil. Add in orzo with saffron threads, and cook for 6-7 minutes. Drain well in a colander, return to pot, and stir in cheese and butter. Keep warm.

Salad—Heat oil over medium heat as orzo and sauce finish. Sauté chard for 2-3 minutes with a pinch of salt, turning often, until gently wilted. Serve strawberry slices over the swiss chard on the plate.

Reheat chops in sauce pan for 1-2 minutes. Plate the dinner as you like.

Enjoy!!