Mississippi County - grace grits and gardening

Farm Art Friday: Frozen Field

February 27, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

I love the winter fields, resting for spring, waiting for new life. And these trees. Frozen, they bow to the earth. We may be growing weary of ole man winter, but there’s no denying the beauty of ice and snow. Tiring, sometimes dangerous, yet beautiful.

I’d love to see your winter pictures. Tag me on Instagram @gracegrits or post to Facebook.

Happy Friday! Stay warm, everyone.

[tweetthis]Frozen Farm Art Friday! Stay warm y’all. [/tweetthis]

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

Frozen (you knew it was coming, right?)

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”

― Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

Peking Roast (a Keiser’s Kitchen recipe)

January 24, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Whoa. It’s been a while since I posted a recipe from the famous Keiser’s Kitchen cookbook. (Famous to those who lived around Keiser, Arkansas in the 1970s.) I made this Peking Roast back in November for Game Day when Arkansas shut out LSU. Let’s say that again. “Arkansas Shut Out LSU.” What a perfect Keiser cookbook choice as it was contributed by Ruth Barnett and her son Craig (my like-a-brother best friend) was visiting for the weekend. See the connection?

Do you remember eating this roast as a child? I asked.

No, he said.

So that’s how that conversation went.

This Peking Roast was delicious and simple because while we tailgated, the crockpot did most of the work. We did have to consult with Ruth via telephone because like many of the Keiser’s Kitchen recipes, the ingredients and/or directions are a bit vague per 21st century standards (i.e. add seasonings).

What seasonings?

We decided that meant salt and pepper.

Unlike regular pot roasts, this one has a special ingredient —black coffee. The coffee gives the gravy a richness unlike water or broth. You can eat the meat with potatoes, your favorite side dish or salad, but I shredded the meat and made sliders. Perfect Game Day snack for celebrating a Hog Shut Out.

Peking Roast

Print Recipe

Ingredients

5 pound rump roast
garlic & onion no measurements provided...
1 1/2 cups strong black coffee
1 cup water
seasonings to taste salt & pepper?
1/2 cup vinegar I used Rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 to 3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon marjoram

Instructions

Cut slits through the meat. Insert slivers of garlic and onion into roast. (I used 2-3 spoonfuls of chopped garlic.) Mix vinegar, mustard, bay leaves, chili powder and marjoram. Pour over meat. Make sure it runs down into slits where the garlic and onion have been placed. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to cook, place meat in a large heavy pot and well brown in oil on all sides. Pour in water and coffee and simmer on top of stove 4 to 6 hours. (I cooked mine in the crock pot on high for 6 hours. I also added the rest of the onion because why not?) If needed, additional water can be added. Salt and pepper 20 minutes before serving. The gravy may be thickened or left as is.
Great served as sliders with cole slaw!

Try it, you’ll like it. The Keiser ladies were great cooks! Still are, I’m sure.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Ruth Barnett

Here are two other classic Keiser’s Kitchen recipes I’ve tested so far:

Milky Way Cake

Yum Yum Cake

Farm Art Friday: Big Green Tractor Rut

January 16, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Tracks fascinate me. Footprints, tractor ruts, animal tracks. I’m not really sure why. Maybe because of the connectivity, proof that someone else passed through the same spot, even in the middle of a bare winter field. Or maybe the design intrigues me, the rhythmic pattern left behind.

Could be that I’m obsessed with taking pictures.

And tractors. I have a soft spot for those big green tractors.

Or maybe, just maybe, it’s as Stephen King says…Write enough stories and every shadow on the floor looks like a footprint; every line in the dirt like a secret message.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]Maybe I have a soft spot for those big green tractors. #FarmArt @JohnDeere @ArFB [/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:

Big Green Tractor, Jason Aldean