Because I love asparagus, the cover picture sold me on the book, and a quick flip through it convinced me that it would be a good purchase.

In it, I found this pork recipe, which looked good. At the time, the rhubarb in our garden was still tender and firm, which is rare for late summer. We hauled the old bottle of cheap port out of the back of the cupboard, and used it in the recipe.

All the flavours blended beautifully together, for a delicious meal. I’d never tried rhubarb with pork, but it’s surprisingly good. Unlike most rhubarb recipes, this one is quite low in sugar, so it’s a good way to use the crop and not go into a sugar-induced coma.

If you don’t eat pork, this would probably be very nice with chicken thighs too.

Not-So-Portly Pork

• 1 tsp canola oil
• 4 boneless pork loin chops, trimmed of fat, about 1 lb total
• 1/4 cup port wine
• 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh rhubarb
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp finely grated gingerroot)

1. Heat canola oil in large frying pan on medium high.
2. Add pork, and cook for about 2 minutes per side until browned.
3. Reduce heat to medium low
4. Add wine. Heat and stir for 15 seconds, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Combine rhubarb, sugar and ginger in a small bowl.
6. Add to pork mixture and stir.
7. Cook, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes, turning pork after 4 minutes, until desired doneness.
8. Transfer pork to serving dish, and spoon rhubarb mixture over top.

Serves 4.
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You can find more information on the gluten free section of my Excel tips website.

Here’s a tasty apple crisp recipe, adapted from the Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for Boys and Girls. If your apples are tart, you may want to add a bit of sugar or maple syrup to them, before you add the flour topping. This is our preferred kind of crisp — just flour, no oatmeal, even for those of us who can tolerate gluten.

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

• 4 cups peeled, sliced apples
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup soft butter

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Spread apples in 8″ square pan.
3. Sprinkle apples with water, cinnamon and salt.
4. Using a pastry blender, mix together the sugar, flour and butter until crumbly.
5. Spread crumb mixture over apples.
6. (optional) Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon, and a few slivers of butter.
7. Bake uncovered about 40 minutes.
8. Serve warm, with a bit of whipped cream or ice cream.

6 servings.