roasted pork loin and vegetables

I woke up last Saturday, around noon and, like most Sundays, started thinking about what to cook that night. I was clueless so I made some coffee and vegged out on the couch while watching Barefoot Contessa, and that was all I needed. Ina was making a huge roast leg of lamb and potatoes (for two...weird? I thought so). While I truly adore Ina, she uses far more butter & cream for my liking and in this case, not near enough vegetables! So I took the roasting idea and ran with it. Since I was just feeding two, and didn't want to eat lamb for the next month, I decided against a 6 lb. leg of lamb and opted for a nice and much smaller pork roast. I've been cooking pork a lot recently and feel that I have "mastered" cooking it without drying it out.

To go with that pork, I wanted more than just potatoes. I love vegetables and roasting them only brings out their natural flavors. I wanted some good earthy vegetables that would hold up to a long cooking process, so I added carrots, onions and mushrooms to the potatoes. Wow. As simple as I cooked these, they were delicious. Once the weather cools off, I'm thinking these roasted vegetables would make a fabulously delicious and hearty soup... maybe with some toasted ciabatta...mmmmm! Oops, here I go, daydreaming again. Anyway! This roasted pork and vegetables would great just about anytime of the year, it's light enough for the summer and hearty enough for the winter. Even better, it's so simple to make!

Marinade

• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

In a food processor, or blender, combine the rosemary, garlic and salt. Pulse to combine and form a paste. While the motor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil to emulsify. Trim your pork loin and pat dry with paper towels, rub the marinade on the pork loin and let marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb pork loin
• 8 baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
• 4-5 large carrots, peeled & cut into large chunks
• 8 baby bella mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 cup frozen pearl onions
• S & P
• olive oil
• chicken broth
• 1/2 bunch fresh thyme

Remove the pork from the refrigerator an hour prior to cooking so it can come up to room temperature. In a skillet over medium high heat, spray with Pam cooking spray and sear the pork until it's browned on all sides. Meanwhile, place all the vegetables in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper and olive oil. Toss to coat. Toss in fresh thyme stems and pour in chicken broth about a 1/4" up on the sides. Place the seared pork directly on top of the vegetables and roast at 450 degrees for 40 minutes to an hour or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. Remove the pork, tent with foil and rest for 10-20 minutes. Continue to cook  vegetables until their overall cooking time is an hour. Add chicken broth if needed and toss occasionally. Serve roasted vegetables with sliced pork roast.