Welcome back from the holiday weekend! Mine was spent visiting friends in Denver, Colorado and it was so much fun. I definitely needed some relaxation and the mountain views, dry air and just having free time without any specific plans were just what I needed. I will say, the best thing about being on vacation is having free reign in the kitchen. Our friends, G & J, hosted us in their home and I was thrilled to cook a meal for them. However, to keep things interesting, they asked I use as much items already on hand in their pantry and fridge/freezer {but can use additional ingredients from the store}... and incorporate truffle oil and truffle salt. Well, it wasn't that big of a challenge since they had some items I could work with. So what did I come up with? Dinner included this BBQ Pork Chops with Corn Relish where thick cut pork are basted with a sweet, smoky BBQ sauce and topped with colorful corn and pepper relish...


All this week I'll feature some of the dishes I prepared during our stay with G&J. For the dinner I prepared, I used some thick cut pork chops and leftover BBQ sauce from their pantry. I supplemented some of the BBQ sauce with a little homemade version but you could use any BBQ -store bought or homemade - for this recipe. As for the corn relish, I used some leftover sweet corn on the cob they had in the freezer. The corn relish made for a nice pop of color, texture and is great as a garnish or side dish.



2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking uncovered until thickened for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.