Tags
allspice berries, arrowroot, bay leaves, chuck roast, dried garlic, dried sour cherries, herb sprigs, ketchup, onion, orange zest strips, port wine, red wine
This is an extraordinary pot roast. I was thinking about our trip to Portugal and remembering some of the fabulous meals we enjoyed, hence the Port, the oranges and the cherries. This seemed like just the thing to use for our Zoom dinner with friends to celebrate getting the vaccine. Everything is relative and one has to find joy in the little things. Continue reading
“The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye”, so the song goes. It’s the perfect time to make a little corn relish. The zucchini are still bearing, the peppers are starting to bear and the corn…oh God, the corn! It’s so delicious fresh, but it’s nice to have a few jars of corn relish tucked away for later. 
Fresh peach pie tends to disappoint me. It never seems to do justice to the flavor of a fresh, fabulous peach. It’s a bias I have, but I’m working on it. And that’s when I decided that maybe if I used part nectarines, I might be happier with the end result. Yes! 
It’s chilly here in North Carolina. I think chillier than last year at this time. And that makes it perfect soup weather. And there’s something so comforting, and well, soul-warming about beef-barley soup. Get out the soup spoons and the good bread. 
Gravy is a thing of beauty. It can turn a pretty ordinary piece of meat or potato into a blessed event. Remember, it’s all about the sauce! 
Nothing says Sunday dinner like a nice hunk of roast beef, right? Some good gravy, roasted or mashed potatoes, maybe some green beans, asparagus, carrots or rutabaga…these, however will only be bit players. It’s all about the meat. Now, doesn’t that just scream “Sunday dinner, call the kids”? 
Salisbury Steak is just a lovely way of saying that we’re looking at a thick hamburger “steak” with gravy. And I’m all over that. I hate those thick burgers, that in order to eat them you have to unhinge your jaw, like a python. I always eat those types of burgers with a knife and fork anyway, so why not add some terrific gravy? 
It’s stone fruit season…you know the fruits that have a single pit (seed) in the center of the fruit? All the various, and there are quite a number, of varieties of apricots, peaches, plums, and nectarines, are stone fruits. And this time of year, there’s nothing better than biting into a perfectly ripe peach or nectarine, except maybe biting into a nice piece of pie! 
The key to a successful stir-fry, is a hot wok and having your mis en place, in place (pun totally intended!). Have everything sliced and diced before you even put the pan on the stove. Then, turn on the exhaust fan and crank the heat! 