Those of you who are returning to Shakerag Workshops will find plenty of your favorite Shakerag recipes on our buffet table. When planning this year’s menu, we have given lots of thought to years past, and our must-have menu favorites span the decade. We will use Kiki Beavers’ delicious Gazpacho recipe from our humble first year. She was among our first caterers, delivering lunches to the small student union building on campus. Claire, Christi, Rachel and Merissa were doing the cooking that year too! We will feature some of those dishes, including Claire’s Chocolate Mousse and Christi’s Sesame Noodles. Our menu will reflect our Southern region as well as the season, sourcing our vegetables, breads, and meats locally. We will celebrate past years’ Shakerag lecturers Chefs Frank Stitt and Hugh Acheson by including recipes from their cookbooks. Frank’s Pea Cakes with Fresh Tomato Salsa should come early in the week so we don’t have to wait, and I plan on having Hugh’s Gingered Pickled Carrots on top of my salad day one for lunch! One more recipe to mention is a great metaphor for what happens here at Shakerag: current Chef Angela Lanier’s Collard Green and Pineapple Slaw will combine Southern ingredients (collards) with exotic ingredients (pineapple), making something unexpected and delightful. Those of you new to Shakerag Workshops should know we serve organic eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, granola, fresh bread, and lots of fresh fruit every morning for breakfast. Breakfast meats include bacon and sausage from local, humanely raised organic sources. Lunch features a salad bar using local lettuces and spring vegetables, and sandwiches are always an option if you want to grab a quick lunch and get back to the studio. We have cookies at every lunch. Dinner is bountiful, providing plenty of choices for carnivores, pescetarians, and vegetarians alike. We are happy to consider and plan for your preferences and dietary requirements at our daily table. Those of us who plan Shakerag Workshops and who love cooking and eating look forward to these favorite recipes all year. We think that you will like our food and will find a wide variety of choices to suit your needs! Breakfast Shakerag Homemade Granola Heat 1 cup water to 1/4 cup honey. Remove from heat. Add the following:Oats, walnuts, almonds, & sunflower seeds. Stir. Bake at 300 for 5 min. Stir in raisins. Caramel French Toast Casserole from Elizabeth Koella 1 loaf french bread (I used homemade Challah) 1/2 cup butter 1 cup brown sugar 3 tbsp Karo or Maple syrup 6 eggs 1 and 1/2 cups milk 1 tbsp vanilla cinnamon Melt butter and brown sugar and syrup over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then pour into 9 x 11 casserole, coating the bottom. Slice bread into 1 inch widths, and arrange over caramel mixture. Mix eggs, milk and vanilla and pour over the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon and cover with plastic. Refrigerate overnight. Uncover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Serve with fresh fruit. I drizzled a bit of cream over the top after baking. Falls Mill Grits Proportions: 3 parts water to 1 part grits Rinse grits in bowl with water. Stir. Pour off water and chaff, reserving grits. In a heavy-bottomed pan, boil 3 cups water and salt. Add rinsed grits. Bring to a boil again. Turn heat down to low. Cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Quick Cooking Oats and Other Rolled (or flaked) Grains from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone 3 cups water 1 1/4 cups rolled grains Bring water to a boil, and stir in the grain. Lower the heat and simmer until the cereal is thickened, about 5 minutes. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Dinner Hines Hickory-Smoked Ham from How America Eats by Clementine Peddlefurd Shakerag Chef: Anne Griffin note from Anne: The key to this recipe is the ham itself - my favorite is Bingham Ham (out of Nashville) or Clifty Farms (more easily found). There may be others as good but not just any ham will do! 1 hickory-smoked ham 6 medium onions, sliced 2 3/4 cups brown sugar 2 cups cider vinegar or cooking wine 2 bay leaves 24 whole cloves 1 cup dry bread crumbs 2 teaspoons dry mustard 1 teaspoon ground cloves Cover ham with cold water; soak 1 to 3 days, changing water frequently. Scrub ham, place on rack, skin side down in large kettle. Cover with cold water. Add onions, 2 cups brown sugar, vinegar, bay leaves and whole cloves. Bring to boiling; simmer 20 to 25 minutes per pound. When small bone at hock end can be twisted out, ham will be done. Let ham cool in water. Remove skin; cut off some of fat. Score fat. Mix remaining 3/4 cup sugar, bread crumbs, mustard and cloves. Pat on ham, while fat is moist. Bake at 400 F for 25 minutes or until ham is glazed and brown. Cut ham in very thin slices when serving.