Meatballs in Pineapple Sauce

There is an event going on at the farm where we get a lot of our products from.  It is called Land and Table which is a Sustainable Traditions initiative to help cultivate sustainable agriculture and the local food movement. Tonight is a pot luck, open mic plus a market.  So for this I wanted to make something that was easy to transport and easy to eat.  The recipe comes from the Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook by Shannon Hayes.  When I made this, I doubled this recipe.  

Meatballs in Pineapple Sauce
For the Meatballs:
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pound ground beef (since I doubled this recipe, I used 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground pork)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Mix all ingredients, except the olive oil, in a large bowl.  Shape into 1-1/2 inch balls (I used a large cookie style scoop with holds about 3 tablespoons).  Saute meatballs in the olive oil over medium heat, turning occasionally, for about 15 to 20 minutes, until browned.  Remove the meatballs, pour off the fat from the skillet, and set aside.
For the pineapple sauce:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch (I use arrow root)
1 13-1/4 ounce can of chunk pineapple, in natural, unsweetened juice
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tamari
1 small green bell pepper, coarsely chopped (since I was doubling this recipe I used 1 green and 1 red bell pepper)
Mix together the brown sugar and cornstarch, and add to the skillet used for the meatballs.  Pour in the pineapple and juice, and add the vinegar, tamari, and chopped pepper.  Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat immediately, add the meatballs, and simmer 10 minutes longer.

Since I didn't have a lot of time today to make this.  I made this last night, placed it into a ceramic crock pot bowl.  This afternoon I took the bowl from the refrigerator and placed it into the crock pot (the part that heats) and turned it on.  It didn't take very long for everything to heat all the way through and now I can carry the crock pot to the pot luck.

To go along with this part of the meal.  I also decided to make a pineapple blueberry mint salad.

Pineapple, Blueberry, Mint Salad
1 fresh ripe pineapple, core and outside removed, cut into bite sized chunks
About 8 ounces of blueberries (I used some blueberries that I froze last summer, if using frozen blueberries don't thaw out, just add to salad as is)
Fresh mint leaves, chopped
Add chopped pineapple, blueberries and mint together.  Mix and refrigerate.  You want to make this the same day you plan on eating it, the blueberries can be tough if left in the refrigerator too long. 

Chicken Drumsticks on the Grill

We bought some drumsticks from one of our local farms that raise their chickens naturally (on pasture, no antibiotic feed).  Thought it would be something a little different than having a whole chicken.

I use a barbeque spice rub recipe that I got out of the Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook.
Barbeque Spice Rub
1/2 cup chili powder
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons coarse salt
2 tablespoons paprika
This will make more than you need at one time.  Just place all the ingredients into a dish that you can place a lid on to seal.  Don't store this in plastic as it will take on the flavor of the spices.

Rub the drumsticks with the spice rub.  Place the drumsticks on a high heat grill and grill for 5 minutes and then turn every 5 minutes until done.

Grilled Asparagus
Snap asparagus (hold a piece of asparagus in both hands and bend the asparagus, the asparagus will break at the tender spot of the asparagus).  Don't throw away the tough end (the part you don't want to eat), save those (stick them in the freezer) to make vegetable broth or asparagus soup with at a later date.  Place the asparagus on foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper.  Place the asparagus on the grill, direct heat and cook for 5 minutes and then move to warming rack. 


Fresh Pineapple, Blueberry and Mint Salad
Cut a fresh pineapple.  I use a pineapple cutter made by Pampered Chef, it makes cutting a pineapple effortless and very simple.  Take each section of pineapple and cut into lengthwise sections and then slice again to create small pieces.  I had some organically grown local blueberries that I froze from last year.  Just take the frozen blueberries and place in a bowl.  Add chopped pineapple, mix.  Take some fresh mint and pull the leaves off.  Dice the mint and place in bowl with pineapple and blueberries.  Mix together and let stand at room temperature until ready to eat.