Time for Cozy: Long Winter Kitchen Week 4

It's that time again! The cooks are rolling up their sleeves for another cooking adventure. I (Mary) am happy to report that I returned from my trip to the east coast safe and sound (and temporarily phone-less, but my phone is back now, phew!). It was great to dive right back into cooking the day after my return. Not only did we get to work with the terrific meat from Old Pine Farm as usual, your Steak Diane featured the most beautiful mushrooms from my friends at Michigan Mushrooms (their webpage seems to be down right now, but look for them at the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market). Chef-extraordinaire Veronica made those delicious dumplings in the Chicken and Dumplings and I'm sure everyone has been warming up with the veggie-rich Bad Bob's Spaghetti Sauce. Yum! You might be interested to learn that Bad Bob is actually Michelle's dad. :-)
This week we're going to be using Michigan-made noodles from Pasta e Pasta, another Farmer's Market friend.
This weeks menu:
Rosemary Pork -- another amazing recipe from Veronica

Lamb Steamed with Thyme -- one of my Christmas books this year was Wild Cooking by Richard Mabey. I read the book and couldn't wait to try out this recipe.

Saucisse et Oeufs aka The Breakfast Dish...if your breakfast doesn't yet include amazing local eggs, meat, homemade Parker House rolls, and broccoli, it's about to!

Momma Janet's Chicken Noodle Soup--The only thing to keep you warm and healthy on these cold winter days. Featuring noodles from Pasta e Pasta. Yum!

Is your mouth watering yet? I, for one, can't wait. See you Friday!
peace
Mary

Photo explanations: 1. Beef Shortribs from December...too pretty to ignore. 2. MUSHROOMS from Michigan Mushrooms--also far too pretty. 3. Michelle holds up the world's largest steak. 4. Chicken Marsala featuring lesser mushrooms, but still delicious.

LWK 3: Winter Sets In

While Mary is busy with her traveling adventures to New York and Boston, I decided to take a stab at writing our LWK blog. Whew! That is how I feel having survived the onslaught of our kids and grandson from Florida over the holidays. 5 adults, one- 3 year old and 4 dogs ranging from 100 lbs down to 3 lbs, all in a 1910 farm house with one shower. Great food and cozy surroundings made for a very memorable holiday. Our last cook up feels so long ago and I have cooked a dozens of family meals in between. I must say, as a person who loves to cook, I continue to be amazed at the quality of the food Mary and I are working with at the LWK. Knowing where our food comes from and how it gets processed is so important. If any of you have seen the movie Food Inc, you completely understand.As we begin week 3, our menu is designed to add comfort as temperatures hit single digits and winter sets in. This weeks yummy dishes include:

• Steak Diane with local mushrooms

• Grandma’s Chicken & Dumplings

• Oven Braised Barbeque Pork

• Ham Hocks and Navy Bean Soup

• Dad’s Spaghetti Sauce
  

--Michelle

P.S. Here are some pictures from the Long Winter Kitchen prep days to bring back memories of the summer.
1. Fresh tomatoes ready to be processed
2. Tomato processing team hard at work!
3. Quarts of tomatoes ready to be frozen for the winter