Fabulous Friday fare

Y'all, I am telling you what: with this dinner, I realize I have mastered the pot roast. Damnation, this was great! I started with a top-notch sirloin tip roast from Springview Farms, an animal-welfare focused farm in Jeterville, VA, who raises its cattle on grass and roaming around outside and then slaughters them in the most humane way possible. I am truly grateful for farms like this: for folks who care about the animals who provide us with sustenance; for farmers who care about the land they work and who realize that the elements are mere parts of a greater whole on which we are all dependent and, as such, for which we should all feel an immense gratitude and responsibility. Anyway, I know the owners of this farm, and they are awesome. And this roast was awesome. It didn't take much: a good browning on all sides, some red wine, onions, thyme, bay leaves, broth and a number of hours in a low oven. Towards the end, I sauteed a mix of mushrooms in some oil and butter, seasoned them with pancetta and thyme, and stirred it all into the thickening gravy. Bellissimo!

For our sides, I decided to go simple with a sauced and parslied strozzapreti (an S-shaped pasta) and a raw kale salad dressed with a garlic and oil mash, some sherry vinegar, walnuts and sultanas. Truly a perfect and delicious dinner.