Pork Crown Roast with Cranberry-Walnut Stuffing and Harvest Vegetables

Preheat Oven

Place the roast on a rack in a heavy shallow roasting pan. Rub all over with the olive oil and the garlic and season generously with salt and pepper along with the thyme and sage. Fill central cavity with a large foil ball and cover bone tips with small pieces of foil. Bake at 325 degrees as follows: * 10 chop roast-approximately 1 to 2 hours uncovered * 12 chop roast - approximately 2 to 3 hours uncovered. * 16 chop roast - approximately 2 to 3 hours uncovered. Roast at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, basting occasionally with pan juices. Meanwhile, prepare stuffing and harvest vegetables.

Prepare Stuffing & Vegetables

Cranberry Walnut Stuffing 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion chopped 1 small clove garlic chopped (optional) 1 celery rib chopped 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon ground sage 2 tablespoons apple cider 8 cups dried bread cubes 1 cup chopped walnuts 1/3 cup dried cranberries cup chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon salt teaspoon ground black pepper 1 to 2 cups vegetable stock Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add in the onion and celery; add garlic cover and cook 5 minutes until softened. Add in the thyme and sage, stirring to coat; stir in apple cider and cook for one minute. Transfer mixture to a casserole dish add in the bread cubes, walnuts, cranberries, parsley, salt, and pepper; stir in just enough stock to moisten, and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding a little more stock if the mixture is too dry. Remove roast from oven and remove foil ball. Fill cavity with stuffing. Now is the time to add the vegetables at the base of the roast. Roast for another 1 to 1 hours or until a meat thermometer registers 160F (71C). Harvest Vegetables 1 teaspoon seasoned salt teaspoon ground black pepper teaspoon ground nutmeg freshly grated ginger teaspoon sage 3 red apples of your choice halved. (I prefer a tart apple, I use Carefree Liberty from my tree) or six Whitney crabapples whole 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 2 ribs of celery cut into chunks 6 to 8 small onions (about the size of a golf ball) 6 to 8 new potatoes (your preference) 3 tablespoons olive oil Directions: Mix seasoned salt, pepper, nutmeg and sage in small bowl. Toss vegetables with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle seasoning mixture over vegetables; toss to coat well. Spread vegetables in single layer at the base of the crown roast in the baking dish. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and bake for 1 to1 hours, basting the roast frequently with pan drippings, until a meat thermometer reads 150 degrees to 160 degrees F. Remove roast from oven; cover with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with stuffing and oven-roasted harvest vegetables and gravy

Prepare Pan Dripping Gravy

PORK GRAVY FROM PAN DRIPPINGS Makes about 2 cups gravy Drippings from roasted pork roast 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour Pork stock or broth Directions Remove pork from roasting pan or skillet; keep warm. Pour pan drippings into a large glass measure. Let stand until fat floats to top. Skim fat from drippings; reserve 3 tablespoons fat. Return reserved fat to pan; sprinkle with flour. Cook and stir over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping browned bits free from pan. Add enough pork stock or broth to drippings to make 2 cups. Return to pan. Cook and stir until smooth and thickened. Serve with pork. Serving Suggestions Capture the rich essence of roasted pork by using the flavorful meat juices and drippings left in the pan. If you don't get enough fat from the roast or chops to make the gravy, add vegetable oil to make up the difference.