Farm lunch...

 Neighbor Cheryl has a real-deal farm: many cows and pigs, a few horses, some goats, and a big flock of chickens. On Sundays, she often cooks a lunch to share with farm helpers. The cast of characters around the table changes as frequently as the menu. Today, we were invited, though we don't do much to help.

The main course was jambalaya from a family recipe. I offered to bring a batch of biscuits to share. Chris taught me how to make them many years ago. He is the undeniable king of baking them in our family, but today, I took on oven duty because he was getting our groceries for the week. I took great care to follow his favorite recipe to a "t." Biscuits are simple to make, but some recipes are better than others. Chris's preferred recipe is the one on the Bakewell Cream can. Flour, salt, baking soda, Bakewell cream, shortening and milk. I used lard I rendered myself (from one of Cheryl's pigs) for the shortening. 

At times like this, I appreciate my pretty, organized kitchen and my collection of tools. I have everything I need, all within easy reach. Chris does a great job ensuring we have all the provisions we need kept in stock. 

We arrived at the farm lunch with a bowl full of warm biscuits, and everyone seemed to enjoy them. They were a good complement to the excellent meal. Besides the jambalaya, there was a fabulous salad, quiche, and homemade brownies with ice cream, all topped with drizzles of raspberry sauce and chocolate sauce. It was a sweet ending to a fun meal with terrific people, good conversation, and a few excellent laughs. 

Farm lunch was a lovely mid-winter punctuation.