Barbecued Pork with Tomato Relish

Farmer's Markets and backyard gardens provide some of summer's tastiest treasures.  Here in the valley, where agriculture is central to our community, the fresh local fruits and vegetables abound.  It seems like every friend and neighbor is growing something, so we all swap produce.  Needless to say, cooking evening dinner becomes a fun and creative event with all of the fresh garden finds.

Last night I made this very simple dish for dinner.  The combination of barbecue sauce on the pork and fresh sweet tomato relish was flavorful but still light and summery. Here is the recipe if you want to give it a try:

Barbecued Pork with Tomato Relish

Ingredients:  

Pork chops, barbecue sauce, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, yellow pear cherry tomatoes, fresh white corn, parsley, olive oil, red wine vinegar (optional)

Directions:

Season pork chops with salt and pepper then brush barbecue sauce on both sides and grill or place in a grill pan.  Cook slowly on low heat until the interior of the pork chops are white.  Meanwhile, boil the corn on the cob in water with a tablespoon of sugar for about 20 minutes.  Remove the corn from the boiling water and cool while chopping the tomatoes.  Then cut the corn off of the cob and add to the tomato mix.  Add a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley and salt and pepper to taste.  (A splash of red wine vinegar can also be mixed in to brighten the flavor a bit). Toss the relish and spoon over the barbecued pork chops.  Enjoy!