Hello from the kitchen!

Spring has sprung and the grass is growing. I’d rather be in the kitchen than outside mowing. A poet I’m not.

Recently, in the kitchen I decided to see how few dirty dishes I could make and still produce a good meal. I made this beef and vegetable dish using one roaster and my trusty knife. It was delicious and hearty. Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, washing dishes was one of my chores. I didn’t like it then and still don’t, but I do it. My Mom didn’t have a big kitchen so most of us weren’t allowed in to help cook the meals. I wouldn’t recommend that since I didn’t learn how to cook until I got married and my spouse wanted to eat 3 times daily. I had a home economics class in high school and failed miserably. It wasn’t until Joe gave me a copy of a Mennonite Community cookbook that I started to cook. I started out making simple meals and eventually fell in love with cooking and baking. After nearly 20 years of having a catering business, I am retired, but still feed people. It brings me great joy to serve a meal, a pie or a pot of soup to someone. I’ve learned most of my cooking skills by trial and error and also by the influence of a few people in my circle. I share all this with you to encourage you to try that recipe, that difficult pie or that roast. You can do it. Or call me and I’ll help you.

Eat well my friends!

Beef roast

and vegetables

• 3-4 lbs beef roast (I used a top round)

• 3 medium to large potatoes, quartered

• 3 large carrots, cubed

• 1 red onion, quartered

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

• Salt/pepper/garlic powder, or favorite seasonings

• 3 cups either beef broth or water

Put all ingredients in the roaster and bake covered for three hours at 325. Serve with fresh, hot buttermilk biscuits.

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Bev Kauffman, of Lewistown, operated a catering business in Juniata County for nearly 20 years. She has authored the cookbook, “Preserving the Past: In the Kitchen with Bev Kauffman” in 2013 and is currently working on a second

cookbook.