When we were in England last spring it seemed like in every village we visited there was a sign outside the local pub for a Sunday Roast Dinner – that was always the special (more on the revival of this tradition here). Those quaint little signs brought back a lot of memories for us, thinking back to when our own families would to serve a big roast beef on Sunday and all the kids would play outside in eager anticipation for that slab of meat to anchor a bountiful family meal where every mouthful tasted like home. And I remember one Sunday afternoon when Star, our German Shepherd, snuck inside the Mullins’ house and nabbed the finished roast right off their kitchen counter. So much for that dinner.
This past October Mike and I spent a couple of days driving through the back roads of New England where the leaves were indeed “unbearably beautiful,” in the words of the late Charles Kuralt, and in practically every small Vermont town they too had a Sunday special posted on little signs outside their restaurants: Chicken Pot Pie. (Read about this peculiar tradition in the Washington Post.)
So happy Sunday to you. And for this last day of rest before the New Year is upon us, we’re sharing two recipes: a proper British Roast Beef, courtesy of Jamie Oliver, and a Vermont Chicken Pie supper from Saveur. Whatever you serve this day, do it with love and celebrate your own family.
Perfect Roast Beef – Get the Recipe
Vermont Chicken Pie Supper – Get the Recipe
