Sunday Supper

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into 4 wedges
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, grated
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Cook the bacon until crisp; drain and crumble.
2. Whisk the buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic and half the chives into a ranch dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Set a lettuce wedge on each plate and spoon the ranch generously over the top.
4. Finish with the bacon, tomatoes and remaining chives.

Ingredients

• 1 chuck roast (about 3 lb)
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 onions, quartered
• 4 carrots, cut into large chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs thyme

Method

1. Heat the oven to 325 F. Season the roast well with salt and pepper and dust it with flour.
2. Brown the roast on all sides in the oil in a heavy pot; set it aside.
3. Soften the onions, carrots and garlic for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the broth and water and scrape up the browned bits.
4. Return the roast with the bay leaves and thyme. Cover and braise in the oven about 3 hours, until fork-tender.
5. Rest the roast 15 minutes. Skim the fat from the pot and simmer the liquid until slightly thickened into a gravy. Slice or pull the beef and serve with the gravy.

Ingredients

• 3 lb russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 6 tbsp butter
• 3/4 cup warm milk
• Black pepper

Method

1. Cover the potatoes with cold salted water and boil 20 to 25 minutes, until a fork slides through easily.
2. Drain well and return the potatoes to the hot pot for a minute to dry.
3. Mash with the butter, then beat in the warm milk a little at a time until fluffy.
4. Season with salt and pepper and serve with an extra knob of butter melting on top.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Boil the beans in salted water 4 to 5 minutes, until bright and just tender; drain.
2. Toast the almonds in the butter in a wide pan until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the beans and toss to coat, 2 minutes more.
4. Finish with the lemon zest, a squeeze of juice, salt and pepper.

Ingredients

• 6 cups sliced peaches (fresh or canned, drained)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tbsp for the top
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp cold butter, cubed
• 2/3 cup milk

Method

1. Heat the oven to 375 F. Toss the peaches with the 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a baking dish.
2. Rub the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and butter together until crumbly, then stir in the milk into a soft dough.
3. Drop spoonfuls of dough over the peaches and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the fruit bubbles at the edges. Rest 15 minutes before serving.