Beef + Zucchini Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

By Julia Turshen for Chaseholm Farm

These highlight two signature Chaseholm products: ground beef and full-fat yogurt. Serve with warm pita bread (or any flatbread) and/or a simple rice pilaf. A quick salad or some cooked greens is great, too. If you’d prefer, you can grill the meatballs, pan-fry them, or cook them in a 400ºF air fryer instead of roasting them.

Makes 2 dozen small meatballs and about a cup of sauce

For the meatballs:

• 1 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, coarsely grated (about 2 cups grated zucchini)

• 1 large egg 

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 2 teaspoons dried mint

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 cup coarse breadcrumbs (panko is great)

• 1 pound ground beef

• Cooking spray

For the yogurt sauce: 

• 1 cup plain, full-fat yogurt

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

• Small handful finely chopped dill, parsley, mint and/or chives

• Kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 425ºF and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the grated zucchini in the center of a kitchen towel and gather the towel around it to form a tight bundle. Wring out the zucchini over the sink, really squeezing it as tightly as you can to release all of its excess water. Hang onto this for a moment. 

Place the egg in a large bowl and whisk it well. Add the squeezed zucchini to the egg along with the fresh garlic, garlic powder, dried mint, cumin, coriander, salt and breadcrumbs. Use a spoon to mix everything well to combine. Add the beef and mix well (your hands are the best tool at this point). 

Divide the mixture into 24 small meatballs (it’s easiest to divide the meat mixture in half, then in half again and so on). Space them evenly on the sheet pan as you shape them. Spray with cooking spray.

Roast the meatballs until browned and firm to the touch, about 18 minutes. You can always crack one open to make sure it’s cooked through, if you need some reassurance!

Meanwhile, place the yogurt in a small bowl and whisk in the garlic, lemon zest and juice, and the herbs. Mix well to combine and season the sauce to taste with salt. 

Serve the meatballs hot, warm, or at room temperature, with the yogurt sauce drizzled on top.

Braised Pork with Cherries + Red Onions

By Julia Turshen for Chaseholm Farm

This gorgeous dish takes so little effort. Serve with creamy polenta or mashed potatoes. If you want the meat to be very shredded, let it cool completely and then use your hands instead of forks or tongs to break it into small pieces (it’s nice to wear a pair of disposable gloves for this job).

Serves about 6 - 8

• One 3-pound boneless pork shoulder roast (or pork butt or Boston butt), trimmed of any large pieces of fat or gristle, cut into 4 even pieces

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced

• 6 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 cup water (or stock or whatever open bottle of wine you have)

• 4 dried bay leaves

• 1 cup dried cherries

• About a tablespoon of sherry vinegar

Preheat your oven to 300ºF. 

Sprinkle the pork pieces all over with the salt. Let sit at room temperature for an hour before cooking if you have the time (if not, it’s okay to skip this step—it just helps the meat cook more evenly and allows the salt to get in there a bit more).

Place the oil in a large, heavy, oven-safe pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the pork pieces and cook, turning them as each side browns, until browned all over, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the pork to a plate. 

Add the red onions to the pot. Cook, stirring now and then, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, water, bay leaves and cherries. Bring the mixture to a boil and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any stuck bits. Turn off the heat and return the pork to the pot along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate.  

Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook until the pork is super tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Use tongs or two forks to shred the pork directly in the pot (discard any large pieces of fat as you work). Then mix the shredded pork together with all the juices in the pot and season to taste with salt and sherry vinegar. Serve hot.