Mornin’ y’all! Welcome to National Tennessee Day. We were lucky enough to spend a week in Tennessee this past summer. That love from a distance has grown even stronger.
Do any of you remember a 1921 Broadway Play called Bombo? If you do, then you must remember the big hit song that came out of that musical, “California Here I Come” With any luck, a year from now Hubby and I will be singing just the opposite “California I am Gone!” Every time we mention to someone here in the Golden State that we plan to pull up stakes and head east to Tennessee, they tell us how many of their friends have done just that. Two years ago several families from our parish relocated together just outside Nashville (for work). The lower cost of living, and the profits from the sale of their properties here allowed the women to retire, and start a home-school community of like minded Catholics. While I know the liberal ladies out there might think it’s a form of oppression, believe me when I say nothing could be further from the truth.
Enough political Red Wave ranting. Today we are celebrating Tennessee. Tennessee as in Nashville. Nashville as in Country music. These days it’s not enough to be a big recording star, you’ve got to open a honky-tonk as close to Broadway in Nashville as you can get. One of our favorite performers is Luke Bryan. He’s about as down to earth as you can get – last summer he toured the country putting on shows at farms. Yeah, there is nothing like listening to great country music while standing in a cow pasture.
Anyhow, I thought it might be fun to try and re-create the amazing lunch I had at Luke’s place. All I had to go by was the description on the menu and my own taste buds.
Bison Meatloaf Medley Skewers
1 lb Ground
1 envelop Lipton Onion Soup Mix
4 slices White Bread
3/4 cup Beef Stock
1-1/3 cup Smoked Ketchup, divided
2 Eggs
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 lb Ground Bison
Heat oven to 350-Degrees. Spray a broiler pan with cooking spray, set aside. Line an 8-inch pan with a sheet of foil with about 2 inches of foil draped over the edge of the pan. Set aside.
Place ground beef in a large bowl topped with dry onion soup mix. Set aside.
Cut or tear bread into small pieces, scatter over the ground beef. Add beef stock, 1/3 cup ketchup and eggs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Finish with the ground bison.
Using clean hands, work all the ingredients together, dump into the prepared 8-inch pan. Press down, creating a “loaf”. Invert onto a cutting board. Lift pan, then foil from the loaf.
With a sharp knife cut loaf into four 8-inch by 2 inch sections, then slice in half to create 8 4-inch “loaves”. Form each section around two bamboo skewers.
Arrange the skewers on the prepared broiler pan. Place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Turn, brush with smoked ketchup, continue to bake for 10 minutes. Turn, brush with ketchup and bake another 5 minutes. Keep warm until ready to assemble.
Buttery Garlic Mashed Potatoes
10 medium Russet Potatoes
8 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Milk
3 Garlic Cloves
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Peel potatoes; cut into 1-inch cubes.
Rinse potatoes in a colander under cold water until water runs clear, about 1 minute; drain well. Place in a large pot with enough water to cover potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and slow-boil until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, 4 tablespoons butter in a small sauce pan. Peel and press garlic into melted butter. Add milk to the mixture. Keep warm until ready to use.
Carefully pour contents of Dutch-oven into colander, drain potatoes well, then return potatoes to pot. Place pot over low heat, cover with a paper towel and dry the potatoes for about 1 minute. Remove from heat, let set, covered for another 5 minutes.
Pour garlic-butter milk mixture over potatoes, mash with ricer until almost smooth. With an electric mixer, whip potatoes until completely smooth.
Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter, fold into the potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to assemble.
Roasted Pear Onions and Peas in a Bourbon Whiskey Demi-Glaze
Bourbon Whiskey Demi-Glaze
1 Shallot
1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 cup Bourbon Whiskey
3/4 cup Beef Stock
1/2 cup Red Wine
2 tablespoon Beef Demi-Glaze (store-bought or homemade)
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Peel and finely mince the shallot. In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add minced shallots and sauté until translucent.
Carefully pour in the bourbon, remove from the stove and ignite the whiskey to burn off the alcohol; allow the flames to subside.
Note: Should flame continue to burn beyond 2 minutes or so, cover with a lid to snuff out.
Return pan to the burner. Add the red wine and beef stock to the pan. Bring to a simmer, reduce by half, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the Demi-glace and simmer for an additional 15 minutes until thickened. Adjust flavor with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to use.
Roasted Pearl Onions and Peas
2 cups frozen Peas
2 cups Pear Onions
Olive Oil as needed
Place the peas in a colander, run cold water over the peas to gently thaw. Set aside to drain.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the onions for about 30 seconds. Trim ends and peel onions. Place onions in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spread onions out in the prepared pan. Place under the broiler to roast the onions, about 5 minutes or so, shaking pan frequently for even roasting.
Add peas, continue to roast about 2 minutes or so longer, just enough to warm the peas and give them a slightly roasted texture. Once roasted, add peas and onions to the Demi-glaze. Simmer until ready to assemble.
To Assemble and Serve Family Style
Mound Mashed Potatoes in the center of a large serving bowl. Spoon Roasted Peas and Onions in the Demi-Glaze Sauce around the potatoes. Arrange Bison Meatloaf Skewers standing up around the potatoes. Serve and enjoy.
Mine is the one on the left, served “family style” while Luke’s is the one on the right. Not bad, if I do say so myself.
Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another
As God has forgiven you in Christ.
Ephesians 4:32
