Ingredients
1 5 pound boneless pork loin roast
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 thyme springs, leaves removed and chopped
2 pounds baby carrots
2 small or 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets, each floret cut in half
8 baking potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-size cubes
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed or grated
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart chicken stock
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves (a couple of handfuls), roughly chopped
3 scallions, green and white parts finely chopped
Directions
Pre-heat the oven 425°F. Place the pork roast in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet. Drizzle thoroughly with some EVOO and season liberally with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the chopped thyme. Transfer to the oven and roast for 45-60 minutes, until the internal temperature is 145°F. Remove from the oven and let the roast rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Arrange the baby carrots, cauliflower and potatoes between three cookie sheets. Drizzle everything liberally with EVOO and some salt and pepper.
Transfer the veggies to the oven about 30 minutes before you are ready to remove the pork roast. Roast them for about 40 minutes, until tender. For the gravy, place the butter in a medium size saucepot over medium-high heat and let it melt. Once melted, add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the flour and stir to combine with the fat and continue to cook for one minute. Whisk in the chicken stock, bring up to a bubble and cook until thick. Reserve the gravy cover to keep warm until ready to serve. While everything is roasting away in the oven, combine the orange zest, chopped parsley and chopped scallions in a bowl and reserve.
Thinly slice half of the pork and arrange it next to the veggies; reserve the other half of the roasted pork for the Roast Pork and Black Bean Chili.
Remove the garlic cloves from the gravy and pour about one cup of gravy over the roasted pork; reserve the remaining gravy for the chili. Sprinkle the platter with the reserved herb mixture and serve it up!