Saga of the Citrus Marmalade... with Pork Tenderloin and Salmon

I had put together a gift basket of my father’s favorite treats: ginger snaps, shortbread and chocolate truffles, vanilla wafers and fruity fig bars, fancy soup and cheesy crackers, tea and some seasonally-themed coffee.  And, of course, marmalade.  Thinking I would get him something special, I picked out the Three Fruit Marmalade with Seville oranges, grapefruit and lemon.

It was a tough decision between Three Fruit and Orange Marmalade with Champagne.  But as I’ve mentioned before, I really like Mackays Preserves, especially the Three Berry one, and so I opted for the Three Fruit Marmalade.

My parents gobbled up everything over a couple weeks and then reminded me that grapefruit was on their “do not eat” list… due to adverse reactions with their medications.  So they gave the jar of Marmalade back to me.  It was still completely sealed and good as new.  And I thought… I’m sure to find someone else who loves marmalade and would appreciate a simple indulgence.

But then my mother made biscuits.  And my father felt, for certain, that he was safe if he only had a very small dollop of marmalade on each of his biscuits.  So we opened the jar.  And he ate the tiniest portion possible, which didn’t make a dent in 12 ounces of marmalade.

Now I don’t like things to go to waste.  But I’m also not a huge fan of marmalade.  So what to do?  Luckily I found this recipe for Honey Orange Pork Tenderloin by Julianna Grimes from Cooking Light.  It reads as follows:

Ingredients

1/3 cup orange marmalade
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1½ tablespoons minced fresh garlic
1½ teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine first 5 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk.  Reserve 2 tablespoons marmalade mixture.  Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil; swirl to coat.  Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper.  Add pork to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned.  Turn pork over; brush with ¼ cup marmalade mixture.  Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.  Turn pork over; brush with ¼ cup marmalade mixture.  Bake an additional 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 150°.  Remove pork from pan; brush with reserved 2 tablespoons marmalade mixture.  Let stand 10 minutes; slice.

I tested out the recipe, and it was fabulously easy and tasty.  Of course, I used the Three Fruit Marmalade, and the lemon and grapefruit definitely brought a stronger citrus flavor and a touch of bitterness that both Walter and I liked.  Our tenderloin was over 1¼ pounds, so we increased baking time by about 6 minutes… basically 3 extra minutes per side.

We liked the recipe so much we decided to try the glaze with salmon.  And it was incredibly easy and tasty.  A couple tips:

• We used just about 1 pound of salmon fillet and left the bottom skin on;
• I halved the glaze recipe… which taxed my brain a little (½ of 1/3 cup = about 8 teaspoons);
• I just poured the glaze, including 1 tablespoon of canola oil, over the fish – no need to sear the salmon – and baked for about 25 minutes.

Voila!  And yum!  We served it with asparagus and deli potato salad for a light dinner.

If you prefer something sweeter, definitely use a plain orange marmalade and consider adding more honey.

Now... I need more marmalade.

Green and Yellow: Alberto Pinto and Kathryn M. Ireland

Last month, Walter and I visited Orchids Galore!: A Love of Living Color at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond.  It was more than a welcome respite from the extended winter-spring we’ve been experiencing.  The Conservatory was just filled with orchid blooms.  Some were romantic lady slippers;

others had flat, bright pansy-faces

or were strangely insect-like.

Many were slightly grandiose and worthy of old-fashioned corsages.

And they came in all sorts of colors: plummy browns,

luscious berries,

racy reds,

lipstick pinks,

and burnt oranges.

But I seemed to be drawn to ones that sparkled emerald and gold, smiled in summery lemon and lime and looked demure, even a bit hazy, in softer shades of jade and primrose.

 

 

 

They seemed to whisper “Spring is almost here” and hint at sunshine-filled days to come.

“Blue” is my predictable response to the perennial favorite-color question.  I tend to dress in varying tones of pink and red and brown.  And when helping others with their interior decorating, blues and greens or ivories and whites usually dominate.  But after our tour of Orchids Galore!, I realized how much I gravitate towards green and yellow in my own home… and in the work of others.

My rooms aren't quite as bold as this interior by Jonathan Adler!

But green and yellow crop up a lot... like in this vintage poster
in our otherwise sandy-red-and-French-blue bedroom.

Or the pretty combination of natural wicker and an olive-dark green print
from Pindler and Pindler that we've had for years.
(The rest of the room is creamy yellow, a couple pinks and red and brown.)

Antique Bavarian plates in the dining room showcase colors from
the Emerald City and Yellow Brick Road... but I think it's Hansel and Gretel, right?

And the guest bedroom sports Roman shades
in this old Laura Ashley paisley that we just love.

Two of my favorite designers: Alberto Pinto and Kathryn M. Ireland often use green and yellow with stunning simplicity.

Born and raised in Morocco, to Argentine parents, Alberto Pinto travelled widely in his youth and quickly established careers in photography and interior decoration.  He opened his own design firm more than 40 years ago.  Based in Paris, he and his team created rooms, even planes and yachts, which epitomized luxury and sophistication.  He was famous for his careful attention to detail and the grand scope of his commissions.

Alberto's dining room in his Parisian home
just glistens in darker-than-forest-green and golden woodtones.

And I don’t think anyone better understood the charm and livability of green and yellow, whether in an English castle, which feels intimate and opulent,

shimmering in a Geneva residence,

contemporary and serene at the Hostellerie de Plaisance in Saint-Emilion

or absolutely glamorous in Kuwait.

Alberto died unexpectedly in early November 2012.  But his sister Linda continues the exacting standards and palatial projects of Agency Alberto Pinto.

Kathryn M. Ireland was born in England, grew up in London and Scotland and moved to the U.S. almost 30 years ago.  After jobs in film and fashion, she started her eponymous line of lovely, somewhat feminine fabrics in 1997.

Kathryn's Quilt in Green

Kathryn’s decor is a little bohemian, pretty (without being too pretty) and completely accommodating.

Like Alberto, Kathryn regularly collaborates with other businesses, so in addition to her full-service interior design studio, she now has a collection of upholstery with Grange and new fabrics with Scalamandre.

Pennsbury,
a jacquard velvet from Kathryn's collection for Scalamandre

Senwick
an embroidered linen from Kathryn's collection for Scalamandre

And of course, she has gained a lot more attention as one of Bravo’s Millionaire Dollar Decorators.  You can shop for her textiles and antiques online or in person at her showroom in West Hollywood.

Although the formality of their styles is dramatically different, Alberto and Kathryn have obviously been inspired by other cultures.  They also share a penchant for layering patterns and colors.  They appreciate truly fine craft and know the power of beautiful objects.  Their designs reflect life well-lived.  It’s not really about money.  It’s about good food and friends and family, the chance to create beauty and joy in even the smallest of settings and the willingness to slow down and relish the moment.  It’s no wonder that, despite their world travels, both Alberto and Kathryn have called France home… at least for part of the year!

Of course, yellow and green is a universal combination, effervescent and tranquil: think of sun and grass; stone and leaf; pale moonlight and forest.  But it also seems especially rooted in Paris and Provence, Lorraine and the Loire valley, Aquitaine and Alsace.



Sugar, Sugar by Irene Suchocki

Le Petit Zinc by Irene Suchocki

I realize that few of us can afford the services of Agency Alberto Pinto or Kathryn M. Ireland Textiles and Design, but we can definitely read their books;

Alberto wrote several books, but Orientalism is perhaps the most fabulous.

Timeless Interiors is Kathryn's lastest.

splurge on some pieces of Alberto’s tableware

Bread and Butter Plate from Les Perroquets from Alberto Pinto

Alberto's Envol pattern (Tea Cup and Saucer)

or Kathryn’s fabrics;

Tulip in Nuevo Yellow by Kathryn M. Ireland

Paisley Stripe in Green by Kathryn M. Ireland

Casablanca by Kathryn M. Ireland

and maybe attend an Extreme Balance Retreat, which Kathryn and friends conduct at La Castellane, her estate in southwest France.

I also encourage you to search out photographs by William Curtis Rolf, Rebecca Plotnick and the Robertsons at Obvious State (formerly known as Little Brown Pen).

And for a completely low-budget vacation, watch Midnight in Paris.  The first fifteen minutes is like a green and gold ode to Paris.  Owen Wilson is one of Woody Allen’s most charming characters, literally mesmerized by the city, past and present.  And in a party scene, you can just make out the lovely boiserie panels, in pistachio and gilt, at Deyrolle – the landmark taxidermist and natural curiosity shop.

By the way, Orchids Galore! closed recently, but you can still get your flower fix at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, Orchids of Latin America, through April 21.  And finally, if you have a home project in mind, consider introducing green and yellow to your life!