During early United States history, farming wasn’t just an occupation but a means of survival. Families had to provide for themselves, as the nearest neighbor could be a mile or two away and the nearest town farther than that. Many settlers were lured from points east by the opportunity of owning something substantial—land. The restaurants in this chapter are the vestiges of a way of life.
190 ALAMO ROAD
CARROLLTON, OH 44615
330-627-7980
On the town square of Carrollton sits the McCook House. The McCook family sent two brothers and nine of those brothers’ children to battle during the Civil War. One of the Christmas trees at Bluebird Farm Restaurant pays homage to that sacrifice. It is bedecked with ornaments depicting soldiers in Yankee blue and Confederate gray uniforms.
The buildings on the farm predate that conflict. They were constructed in the mid-1800s by Jacob and Louisa Kintner. One barn contains a gift shop, where items are attractively arranged even in the old cattle stalls. Another barn is the home of owner Joyce Hannon. The old farmhouse is now the restaurant. Guests enter through the original kitchen area and head up a flight of stairs to the main dining room. The plank floor is a lovely, mellow chestnut. The cream walls are trimmed with marvelous stencils of buildings, each a structure in town, done by a friend of Joyce’s daughter. A corner cupboard and another built-in cupboard contain the restaurant’s collection of Blue Bird china. I thought this might have been the inspiration for the restaurant’s name, but it seems that the bluebird is the county bird of Carroll County, and the name was chosen for that reason. The dining room on the third floor is more Victorian in its décor, which includes floral wallpaper and lace curtains over lovely arched windows. Karen wasn’t able to make this sojourn, so I dined with Joyce, restaurant manager Ruth Ann, and Amy Rutledge of the Carroll County Visitor’s and Convention Bureau. We ate on the enclosed second-story porch, which was a lovely setting after a fresh snowfall.
The restaurant prides itself on its hearty home-style meals. I chose the Chicken Casserole with a side dish of Cranberry Salad, which hit the spot on a wintry day. Other items ordered from our table were Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups, which looked delicious, and Ham, Broccoli, and Cheddar Quiche, which was extremely appealing. On another visit, I might choose the BLT Chicken Salad, a favorite of many guests. When the dessert tray came, I couldn’t make up my mind, so we decided to wait until after we’d toured the other buildings.
Across a short walkway, we visited the gift shop before continuing to the toy museum. Joyce’s daughter, Susie, seeking a way to display her collection of antique toys, was the inspiration for the museum. The bear collection alone is unbelievable. You’ll also find Madame Alexander dolls, some excellent English dolls, a wide variety of German dolls, and an impressive assortment of Steiff animals. And that’s not all. Joyce has an extensive collection of hats that changes with the seasons—felts and velvets for the winter, bonnets and straw hats for the summer. Many are in the restaurant’s ladies’ room. Mannequins adorned in period dress, antique photos, and an antique curling iron complete the powder room décor. I won’t give away what Joyce has done with the upstairs restroom—it’s whimsical, clever, and completely unexpected!
After touring, we returned to sate our sweet tooth. My Cherry Macaroon Pie with Coconut-Almond Topping was unique and delicious. Go to Bluebird Farm for lunch or a traditional Sunday dinner and enjoy a down-home meal!
CHICKEN CASSEROLE
10 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
4 cups sour cream
2 15-ounce cans cream of chicken soup
15-ounce can mushroom stems, drained
9-ounce can water chestnuts, drained
6-ounce package commercial stuffing mix
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Poach chicken in salted water for approximately 10 minutes until tender. Cool and cut into bite-sized pieces. Combine sour cream, soup, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. Add chicken pieces and put in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions and spread over chicken mixture. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. May be refrigerated 1 day prior to using. Serves 6 to 8.
CREAM PUFFS
1 cup water
1 stick margarine
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Custard Filling (see below)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine water and margarine in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add flour and stir well. Remove from heat. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Drop mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool. Put Custard Filling into a pastry tube and pipe into puffs. Yields 12 puffs.
Custard Filling
4¼ cups milk, divided
2 cups sugar, divided
½ stick margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup cornstarch
2 eggs
Combine 4 cups of the milk and 1½ cups of the sugar. Stir and bring to a boil. Add margarine and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch, remaining sugar, eggs, and remaining milk. Stir until well blended. Add to boiling mixture, stirring constantly until thickened. Set aside to cool. Yields enough filling for 12 Cream Puffs.
THE GRANARY
AT PINE TREE BARN
4374 SHREVE ROAD
WOOSTER, OH 44691
330-264-1014
The success of Pine Tree Barn—which includes a tree farm, home furnishings and interior design, a gift shop, and a restaurant—is indirectly linked to that of immigrant August Imgard, who arrived from Germany during the 1850s. As his first Christmas in the New World approached, he observed the holiday much as he had in Bavaria—by decorating a Christmas tree. This was very uncommon in America, but by the following Christmas, almost everyone in town followed Imgard’s lead, making Wooster one of the first places in America to observe the tradition of Christmas trees.
Over the years, local farmers decided to meet the increasing demand for evergreen trees by growing them commercially. Robert Dush and his wife were one family to do so. Their son, Roger, went through college on money garnered from the tree business. He worked in Chicago for a time before returning to Wooster to open Pine Tree Barn, an expansion of the tree business, with his father. They set up shop in a twenty-five-thousand-square-foot Dutch bank barn. Built in 1868, it once held a significant number of livestock.
Since customers were coming to get trees, the Dushes decided to offer ornaments for sale as well. The family, realizing it was drawing business from a seventy-mile radius, also made food available for customers. At first, the restaurant was tucked into the corner of the barn where the grain bins once were. That area, with its wide-plank flooring and barn walls, is still there. Attractive sage-green bench-style seating extends around the perimeter. Casual side chairs slide up to the linen-covered tables, creating a cozy dining-room atmosphere. Adjacent to this, another dining room has been added overlooking the beautiful grounds and the sparkling lake.
Karen was unable to accompany me that day. I munched on a Lemon Crumb Muffin, a specialty of the house that was featured by Burt Wolf on a cooking segment he filmed here. I toyed with ordering the Gourmet California-Style Thin-Crust Pizza or one of the two quiche selections before deciding on Marie’s Pesto Chicken and Pasta. I ended my delightful meal with a piece of Sour Cream Raspberry Pie, made according to a recipe from Roger’s mother. The restaurant always has the raspberry and peach varieties of this pie and also offered cherry the day I was there.
The Dushes and their faithful customers proclaim Pine Tree Barn to be in the middle of nowhere. Actually, this luncheon restaurant is just a few miles from Wooster, and it’s well worth the trip any day of the week!
4 cups sugar
6 cups flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
5 fresh lemons
8 eggs
2 cups sour cream
4 sticks butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Streusel (see below)
Lemon Glaze (see below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Grate rinds of lemons and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, then add sour cream, butter, and lemon juice. Continue to whisk until smooth. Fold lemon rinds into egg mixture. Fold all dry ingredients into egg mixture. Blend well. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray and fill with batter. Top each muffin with 1 tablespoon Streusel and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove muffins from oven and immediately poke each several times with a toothpick. Drizzle top of each muffin with a scant ½ teaspoon Lemon Glaze. Let cool slightly. Remove from muffin tins. Serve warm or allow to cool and store in an airtight container for later use. Batter can be kept up to 1 week in refrigerator. Yields 30 muffins.
Streusel
1¼ cups sugar
1¼ cups flour
cup butter, softened
Sift sugar and flour together. Add butter. Work into dry ingredients until crumbly.
Lemon Glaze
½ cup sugar
cup lemon juice
Combine ingredients until all sugar is dissolved.
MARIE’S PESTO CHICKEN
AND PASTA
4 4- to 6-ounce boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound angel hair pasta
3 tablespoons lemon-infused oil
1 cup julienned red peppers
1 cup julienned green peppers
1 cup diagonally cut green onions
½ cup black olives, halved
1 cup pesto, divided
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Brush chicken breasts with olive oil. Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, grill chicken until juices run clear. In a large skillet, heat lemon-infused oil and sauté peppers, green onions, and olives al dente. Add ¾ cup pesto to skillet and toss with vegetables. Remove from heat. Place pasta on 4 plates and divide vegetable mixture among them. Place chicken breasts on top. Spoon remaining pesto over chicken and sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
12018 US ROUTE 250
MILAN, OH 44846
419-499-4271
Set amid the flat farmland of central Ohio, the property surrounding the Homestead Inn could have inspired the Beatles’ tune “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Levi Arnold was a strawberry farmer who relocated to this area from Connecticut. He built his large, two-story house in 1883, using several popular styles of the day. An intricate wrought-iron railing surrounds the widow’s walk, where Mrs. Arnold is said to have kept watch on the field hands below. According to local legend, the strawberry farm was so successful that the house and its furnishings were paid for with the profits from just one year’s crop. When the Lake Shore Electric Railway was completed in 1893, Arnold had a refrigerated rail car designed to ship his strawberries. The fruit was loaded on the train right at the farm, since he also had his own rail siding.
The house and farm remained in the Arnold family for three generations. Interestingly enough, current owners Mr. and Mrs. Robert Berry and Doug Berry have ties to the Arnolds. Doug’s great-aunt married one of the Arnold descendants and lived in the house at the time her children were born. She was in her nineties in 1979 when the Berrys took ownership, and as she walked through the house, she told them bits and pieces about how the rooms had been used and how the home had been decorated. Sure enough, as they began to renovate and restore, color schemes and details she had described revealed themselves. Although the Berrys began their tenure in the late 1970s, the home had been used as a restaurant some twenty years prior to that.
Visible from the Ohio Turnpike, Homestead Inn Restaurant is popular with tourists and locals alike. We arrived from the other direction, coming north on US Route 250. We were immediately drawn to the gnarled trees in the yard and the contrast they provided to the lovely wrought iron of the ornate porch and the patterned slate roof.
Seated at a cozy window table in the main dining room, we marveled at the fabulous beaded gingerbread trim that separates one room from the next. The intricate pattern in shades of black and tan on the inlaid marble fireplace reminded us of those done on Ukrainian Easter eggs. Even the hinges on the ten-foot doors are elaborate. Downstairs, the Rathskeller—the old cellar, built from massive stone blocks—offers a very different dining experience. There, old tools and interesting lighting that gives a candlelight effect decorate the many interesting nooks and crannies.
We shared a cup of Reuben Chowder, delicious on that rainy day. It had a creamy Swiss cheese broth filled with chunks of sauerkraut, corned beef, and pickle. Karen followed it with the Smothered Crab Burger and Onion Rings, while Debbie enjoyed the Perch Luncheon, served with a Twice-Baked Potato and a dish of Coleslaw. No strawberries were on the menu, though. They just weren’t in season.
DEVILED EGGS
12 hard-cooked eggs
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons celery seed
Shell eggs. Cut in half lengthwise and separate whites from yolks. Place yolks in a bowl and mash with a fork or a pastry blender until they resemble fine crumbs. Add next 6 ingredients, blend until smooth, and then fill whites with yolk mixture. A pastry bag works best for adding filling. Sprinkle with celery seed. Serves 24.
SWEET POTATO BREAD
1 cup cooked and mashed fresh yams
½ cup oil or shortening
cup water
1¾ cups flour
1½ cups sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
Glaze (see below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl and beat well. Add all remaining ingredients except Glaze and beat well. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour. Brush with Glaze while still warm. Yields 1 loaf.
Glaze
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
9470 MENTOR AVENUE
MENTOR, OH 44060
440-358-0100
The stone building on the south side of Mentor Avenue was once part of a group of Sawyer family homes that sat along both sides of the avenue. Daniel Sawyer lived in this house, while his brother Joseph lived on the corner of Mentor Avenue and Chillicothe Road. Another brother, Isaac, lived just across the way. A collage of Sawyer family pictures hangs in the vestibule near the reception desk. Three generations of Sawyers lived in this house. Longtime area residents used to talk about Daniel’s son, William, trimming the front hedges. His hard work garnered him much respect, since William had a clubfoot.
The house, marked by a stone over the front entrance, was built in 1843. The construction style, in which native cut stone and cut sandstone were set in a random pattern, is quite unique. Some of the stones are as much as four feet by two and a half feet. This is one of only two or three stone homes more than one hundred years old in Lake County.
Inside, stone walls were visible in the dining room where we were seated and up the steps adjacent to the bar area. The main dining room is more modern than the building’s exterior but still has vestiges of the past, including the original cellar door and a wall of weathered barn siding. A large, old-fashioned clock set above a series of booths adorns one of the end walls. Eight ceiling fans turn lazily overhead, operated by an elaborate pulley system. Off the bar area, two additional dining rooms decorated in tones of teal and mauve are located in the downstairs rooms of the Sawyers’ original residence.
We were intrigued by the Graham Cracker-Crusted Calamari, served with Curry Coconut Aioli. The Veal Meat Loaf, wrapped in smoked bacon and then char-grilled, also sounded wonderful. Pork Tenderloin is a favorite of Debbie’s, so she was tempted by The Sawyer House’s version, which comes encrusted with rosemary and walnuts and is served with Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage and Sun-Dried Cherry-Apple Relish. Ultimately, it was the Ravioli, filled with butternut squash and served in Sage Cream Sauce, that got her vote. The portion was just the right size for lunch. Karen had no difficulty in selecting the Crab Cakes, served in four petite mounds with a side of Jicama Slaw. Although we decided to curb our calorie count, the ladies’ luncheon next to us gave us an opportunity to observe each of the desserts. The Cheesecake that day was a luscious looking raspberry. The Pecan-Rolled Ice Cream Balls, served with Vanilla and Cinnamon Ice Cream and topped with Kentucky Bourbon Caramel Sauce, was enough for two people. The Double Mousse Parfait, with its layers of creamy white and dark chocolate, looked wonderful. Temptation almost won out when we saw the Chocolate Lucifer Torte, but for once, we refrained!
1 cup finely diced mixed red, green, and yellow bell peppers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1½ pounds jumbo lump crabmeat
1 egg
¼ cup mayonnaise
2¾ cups fresh breadcrumbs, divided
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
salt and pepper to taste
5 6-ounce halibut steaks
3 eggs, beaten
Orange-Basil Hollandaise (see next column)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sauté peppers until half cooked. Add chopped herbs and cook until vegetables are al dente. Cool. In a medium bowl, mix by hand the crabmeat, pepper mixture, 1 egg, mayonnaise, ¾ cup of the breadcrumbs, Old Bay, garlic, and salt and pepper. Set aside. Lay out a 12-by-12-inch piece of plastic wrap. Place 1 portion of halibut on plastic, then place another piece of plastic on top of fish. Using a meat mallet, pound halibut into a rectangular shape about 6 inches by 10 inches. Pull off top layer of plastic wrap. Put 6 ounces of crabmeat mixture in middle of halibut. Fold short ends of halibut to cover about ¼ of the crabmeat. Firmly but delicately roll up halibut around crabmeat. Repeat with other halibut steaks. Dunk rolled halibut in beaten eggs, then roll in remaining breadcrumbs. In a skillet, sear all sides of halibut until golden brown. Bake until fish is flaky and crabmeat is hot. Slice and place on plates. Drizzle with Orange-Basil Hollandaise. Serves 5.
ORANGE-BASIL
HOLLANDAISE
¼ pound fresh basil leaves
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
juice of 3 blood oranges
¼ cup white wine
6 egg yolks
1½ cups clarified butter, warmed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Blanch basil and let cool. In a blender, combine basil and olive oil and blend for 5 minutes on high. Strain and set aside. In a small pot or pan over medium heat, combine sugar and orange juice and reduce by half. In a separate stainless-steel bowl, mix wine and egg yolks. Whip over simmering water until yolks form ribbons and triple in volume. Take off heat and gradually add butter, whipping constantly. Add lemon juice, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Set aside in a warm place. Yields approximately 3 cups.
750 MURPHIN RIDGE ROAD
WEST UNION, OH 45693
937-544-2263
Turning onto the country lane leading to Murphin Ridge Inn, I immediately felt conspicuous in my red rental car. Amish mothers were out strolling babies, children were playing, and buggies were transporting their inhabitants homeward from the nearby village of Unity. It was quite picturesque. And, as I was soon to find, it was only the beginning of a great evening.
Innkeeper Darryl McKenney greeted me upon my arrival, doing the duties while his wife, Sherry, was out of town. He obviously enjoyed the work, as he mingled among the guests with a refreshing blend of savoir-faire and fun. As Darryl and I explored the property, he hailed guests, built a bonfire, and showed me the original log cabin on the property. The plan is to restore it for conference space. The old smokehouse is now a gift shop. The corncrib still stands, as do a chicken coop and the old well.
Two dinner bells are located at the back of the brick farmhouse, built around 1826. That farmhouse is now the restaurant at Murphin Ridge Inn. The bells were once used to call farm hands to meals, but there is no need of that now, as the cuisine and the ambiance draw customers from quite a distance. Seated at the table next to me were Roy and Joyce Payne, who had driven up from Portsmouth, Ohio. Somehow, during the course of our conversation, Charleston, West Virginia, came up. It turns out that the Paynes, Darryl, and I all have roots there. In fact, Darryl’s wife once taught at the high school from which my husband graduated!
Four of the five tables were occupied in the dining room where we were seated. Two of the parties were celebrating birthdays. Darryl serenaded the room with “Happy Birthday”—on the kazoo. Corporate guests were seated across the hall in what is sometimes known as the “Chicken Wing,” a room that houses a variety of chicken pictures, antiques, and other bric-a-brac. All the dining rooms are quite elegant in their simplicity. White walls work together with subdued painted woodwork and smooth wooden floors. The Shaker-style dining tables have polished cherry tops that nicely offset the butter yellow place mats and the yellow and rust plaid napkins.
Before being seated, I had glanced at the menu and decided to order the Three Falls Trout, which is sautéed and stuffed with Crab Dressing. The chef, however, suggested that I sample a variety of dishes. A meal here typically starts with soup and a salad. On that evening, the soup was a tasty Vegetable, but I also enjoyed the delicious Creamed Onion. All three of the entrées—April’s Chicken, the Three Falls Trout, and e. e.’s Pork Tenderloin—were fabulous. It was fortunate that I sampled lightly, because dessert soon followed, again in triplicate—West Virginia Bluebarb Crisp (an unusual combination of blueberries and rhubarb), Chocolate Fondue (served with bananas, strawberries, bite-sized pieces of cake, and a Shortbread Spoon), and Lemon Baby Cake (filled with Sweet Cream, surrounded by Lemon Sauce, and topped with Candied Kumquats). Choosing a favorite would have been impossible.
As I left, anxious to tell Karen about what she’d missed, the midwestern sky was a vivid pink. What could have been more perfect after my Murphin Ridge experience than rounding a corner, crossing a covered bridge, and heading off into a glorious sunset?
CREAMED ONION SOUP
6 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 stick butter
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
salt and white pepper to taste
In a stockpot, sauté onions in butter until transparent but not brown. Add enough stock to cover by at least 2 inches. Cook until tender. Remove half of mixture from pot and place in a blender. Purée until smooth. Add puréed mixture back into stockpot. Add cream and Parmesan. Heat through but do not boil. Season with salt and white pepper. Thin with additional stock if necessary. Serves 8.
FOGGY BOTTOM
PANCAKES
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup whole-wheat flour
½ cup oatmeal
1½ cups white flour
½ tablespoon baking powder
½ tablespoon baking soda
½ tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3 eggs
3 cups buttermilk
cup canola oil
whole milk as required
maple syrup
stewed apples
Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, and oil. Pour wet ingredients into bowl with dry ingredients and stir to combine. Thin mixture with milk if necessary. Cook pancakes on a hot, oiled griddle. Serve with maple syrup and stewed apples. Yields 8 to 12 pancakes.
STATE ROUTE 2
ARCHBOLD, OH 43502
419-445-2231
In 1861, a large bank barn was built on the Stutzman farmstead by an Amish crew. The property was passed on to Moses J. Stutzman, then to his daughter and son-in-law, Della and Louis Riegsecker. By the time their children inherited the property, the barn was sadly run-down, an anomaly in a land of pristine farms and outbuildings. As with many of the buildings we see in our travels, it was scheduled for destruction. However, about that same time, a local industrialist and entrepreneur was saving and restoring old buildings as a hobby during his retirement. His intent was to create a living-history village bearing his name.
When Erie Sauder came to look at the old barn, he saw not the gaping holes and rotted siding but the hand-hewn timbers within. Mr. Sauder envisioned a restaurant growing from the remaining bits of woodwork. Soon, the top story of the barn was loaded onto steel beams and dollies for a two-mile trek across frozen fields to proudly take its place in Sauder Village.
The portion of the old barn that Mr. Sauder rescued was once used for hay and straw storage and as a play area for many of Mr. Stutzman’s descendants. It was easy to envision the youngsters of prior generations wrestling and playing hide-and-seek here. Many transients also found their way to this barn for a bit of rest. They were called “tramps” and “hobos” by much of society, but the Riegseckers always called them “walkers” and were never surprised to find one curled up in the hay.
At the ripe young age of 115, the barn opened its doors not for livestock but for dinner guests. The granary of yesteryear is now a dining room that seats up to twenty-five. The rope-and-pulley system is still overhead, as are authentic wagon wheel chandeliers designed by Erie Sauder.
The menu is almost as lengthy as the barn’s illustrious history. Diners can choose from several appetizers and eight salad selections, including the salad bar. There are no fewer than seventeen sandwich options and thirteen dinner choices. The dinners, such as Roasted Chicken and Butterflied Pork Chops, are served with hot rolls, Apple Butter, and numerous side dishes. The restaurant also offers a daily buffet and family-style dining, a very affordable option for families eating out.
Erie Sauder was certainly a visionary not only in his care of the barn but in his building of the village. Here, professional craftsmen use the skills of their ancestors in plying their trades. Costumed interpreters amid period furnishings tell the story of the pioneer men and women who drained the Great Black Swamp, transforming it into some of America’s most fertile farmland.
HAM LOAF
1 cup finely diced onion
1 cup finely diced celery
2 tablespoons butter
1 sleeve saltines, crushed
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2½ pounds ground ham
1¼ pounds ground beef
1¼ pounds ground sausage
½ cup milk
½ cup water
¼ cup honey
¼ cup mustard
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté onions and celery in butter until tender and slightly cooked. In a large bowl, combine saltines, eggs, and salt. Stir in onions and celery. Add meats and mix well. Stir in milk and water. Continue mixing until smooth. Place mixture into 2 loaf pans. Bake for approximately 1½ hours. Combine honey and mustard in a small bowl. Spread on top of loaves after baking. Return to oven for 10 minutes. Slice. Serves 20.
PORK LOIN
6-pound pork loin, trimmed
salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
pepper to taste
Apple Chutney (see below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season pork with salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Place in a baking pan with sides. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. This will cook meat medium-well, leaving it still tender and juicy. Slice pork into -inch-thick medallions. Arrange medallions on a platter, top with Apple Chutney, and serve. Serves 12.
APPLE CHUTNEY
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 cups peeled and diced apples
¼ cup raisins
Combine first 6 ingredients and cook on low in a large saucepan until well mixed. Add apples and raisins. Cook approximately 4 hours. This is best when made ahead. If made ahead, chutney should be refrigerated, then warmed before use. Yields approximately 2 cups.
