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This is a new favorite recipe of mine, and proof that good things can be born of idleness. To pass the time during the 2020 Coronavirus quarantine, I came up with a fun creative challenge to play with some of my friends. It’s called The Flavor Game. The rules are that player one gives player 2 a list of 3 unconventional ingredients. Player 2 then has to figure out how to fit them together in a dish. After player 2 reveals their idea, player 1 must also present one to prove that combination is possible. It’s simple, but a lot of my favorite recipes have been inspired by playing this game! If you’re feeling stuck creatively or are working with a limited pantry, give it a try. 

I love it because it allows me to look at food in entirely new ways. Take turns being the challenger and setting the ingredients for the other player. 

To make it more challenging, consider mixing high-end foods with snack foods. Some of the best challenges are really bizarre! Or try a mix of three things that would go together perfectly in a savory dish but pose the challenge that the food idea must be some kind of dessert. 

Remember, this is play! You can bend the rules, you can get crazy. Your creations don’t ever have to come to fruition but it’s amazing how many end up tasting really good. 

Want to make it more competitive? Get a group of friends to play. One person sets the list, then everyone else writes their answers on blank cards and turns them in. The challenge setter picks their favorite, then that person gets a point. It’s so much fun to see how differently everyone’s brain works when it comes to this exercise! 

To take it a step further yet, have everyone vote on their favorite from the winning selections and create the dish together. Is it as good as you imagined? Is it better? Again, this is an experiment! This is play! If it’s a bit weird, that’s okay. You can refine it if you want to, or move on to another wild idea. (Just try not to waste food.) 

This recipe came from one particular challenge that was for polenta, bee balm, and pepper. It’s absolutely delicious, and will definitely become a seasonal staple in my family! I hope you give it a try. 

Fresh peaches are grilled with a flavorful glaze composed of honey or corncob jelly, wild bee balm, and pepper. They’re layered in with tender and juicy pork tenderloin and slices of crispy polenta accented with sriracha mayo. It may sound weird, but give it a try. I bet you like it too. 

Ingredients: 

½ c. corncob jelly (or honey) 

½ c. white wine

¼ c. fresh bee balm flowers (or 1 Tbs. dried)

1 tsp. Minced fresh ginger

1 pork tenderloin

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. dried bee balm, crushed

1 tube polenta

2 Tbs. butter

6 ripe peaches

½ c. mayonnaise

1 Tbs. sriracha sauce

Salt + pepper 

Directions: 

1. Season the pork tenderloin with the olive oil, dried bee balm, and salt and pepper. Smoke at 200F until it is 165F in the middle. (Cherry wood is especially delicious!) Remove from smoker and cover loosely with aluminum foil while you make the other components. 

2. Combine the jelly, white wine, bee balm, ginger, and a few fresh grinds of pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking until the jelly has melted. Simmer for 5 minutes, then set aside. 

3. Heat a grill to medium-high and cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Place them skin-side down on the grate and close the grill. Cook until the skin has blistered and the peaches are tender. 

4. Meanwhile, heat up a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbs. of butter. Slice the polenta into ⅜” thick slices and place 3-5 in the pan once the butter is sizzling. Fry until golden brown, then flip and repeat. 

5. When the peaches are nice and soft, remove them from the grill and place them on a plate to cool. Reserve the fried polenta slices on another plate. 

6. In a small bowl, mix together the mayo and sriracha. 

7. When the peaches have cooled to the touch, peel off the charred skin with your fingers.

8. In a medium casserole dish, place a polenta slice topped with a dab of sriracha mayo, then add a slice of smoked pork tenderloin, then a peach slice. Repeat this pattern around the edge off the dish and then fill in the middle. 

9. Strain the sauce through a fine strainer and brush it over the casserole dish contents with a clean kitchen brush. Enjoy at room temperature, or place into a warm 300F oven for 10-15 minutes or until everything is heated throughout. Garnish with bee balm petals and enjoy!

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