Category Archives: Food & Recipes

The addition of white wine adds a nice dimension of flavor to the sauce, use whatever you like:sweet, dry, sherry, whatever. The parsley and green beans can be substituted with what is available and in season. Ingredients:1C Chicken Broth2.5 lbs … Continue reading →

This hearty pub pie is made with beef tenderloin, enhanced with Guinness stout and thickened with sharp white cheddar cheese. The vegetables included are optional and can be varied based on seasonal availability: for example, I use frozen peas instead … Continue reading →

I lucked out at the Holland Farmers Market Wednesday and found some pie cherries. While sweet cherries are plentiful and available many places, consider yourself fortunate when you see these, at least in West Michigan. The season for pie cherries, … Continue reading →

We take our cues from the local seasonality for this excellent dessert. Here in our corner of West Michigan we are in that special time when the rhubarb is winding down and the strawberries are just beginning. The combination of … Continue reading →

We make sourdough bread multiple times per week here at Castle in the Country from a starter that began life on April 15, 2005. It is used here for french toast, croutons, picnic baskets, dinners, breadcrumbs…very little goes to waste. … Continue reading →

There seems to be an increasing use of bacon in sweet dessert items like chocolate brownies. The combination of smokey, salty bacon with sweet, rich chocolate is better than it may sound at first. So, we thought it would be … Continue reading →

Most traditional scone recipes use both butter and milk or half&half. Here we skip the butter and a few of the mixing steps by using only heavy cream. This simplifies and shortens the preparation process, and the end result yields … Continue reading →

Appetizer: TBDSalad: Savoy Cabbage Slaw with Apple Vinaigrette and Mustard Seeds with toasted walnutsSoup: Roasted SquashCheddar-Garlic BiscuitsEntree: Pork Loin with Caramelized Apples, Turnip Gratin, and Crisp-Roasted KaleDessert: Pear and Cream Gallette