Pressure Cooker Pork Chops

I love my pressure cooker, not just because it's a time saver, but because it can make foods my kids would complain about into food they love. Like cabbage. The pressure cooker transforms this often overlooked vegetable into a sweet and delicious treat, especially if cooked with apples, as int he recipe below. This easy one-pot meal packs in the veggies and the flavor. Pressure Cooker Pork Chops 4 boneless pork chops 1 medium onion, chopped 1 large carrot, chopped 1 small head of cabbage, roughly chopped 1 apple, cored and sliced 4 russet potatoes, washed and sliced to 1/4" 1 tbsp cider vinegar 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup white wine 1/2 tsp each rosemary and thyme salt and pepper to taste 1) Melt the butter in the bottom of the cooker. Season chops with salt and pepper. Brown chops on both sides then remove to a plate for later. 2) Add onions and carrots to cooker. Stirring often, cook until onions are translucent and carrots are softened. Deglaze with wine. 3) Add chops back to cooker. Add cabbage, then apples, forming layers. Pour vinegar over the cabbage and apples. 4) Toss the potatoes with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Layer on top of cabbage. 5) Attach top and valve. Bring to pressure and cook for 15 minutes. Allow natural release. (You can do a quick release if you prefer crisper cabbage; the pork will be cooked.)

My first child, a daughter named Caitie, was just three weeks old when I moved to Blairstown. That was in 2003. As a nesting mama, I was pretty restrictive about where we would live. My real estate agent (thankfully my ever-calm father) took us to dozens of places all over Warren County before I was willing accept a home that was just right for my babies.

It reminded me of the place we lived when I was 12, in Pohatcong Township, with it's woods and sloping lawn. It wasn't big or fancy. It was a good place for children. It was near the schools and had lots of backyard for a swingset and running.

Soon I learned of the Ridge and Valley Charter School, the local farms, the local culture... that amazing mix of progressive thinking and simple, old-fashioned values. Blairstown has proven to be a very special place that has captured my heart completely. This is where my children will grow up. This will be their hometown. I think it's a damned good one.