Last summer, I took a trip back to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for my high school class reunion. In addition to visiting with classmates whom I hadn’t seen in years, I made time to stop at the town’s farmers market. It is interesting that the farm vegetables which are ripe in Virginia are several months behind the ones that are ripe locally in Louisiana. Carrots, potatoes, beets and early English peas filled the stands in the market in Virginia in June. Of course, I brought back some of these vegetables. Although it is now winter again, some of these vegetables –such as carrots — are easily available all year around.

Going back to the town where I grew up brought many memories including the comfort foods which we cooked in my home during my high school years. I used some of the carrots and potatoes from the farmers market to make one of these dishes — “Old Fashioned Pot Roast with Vegetable Medley.”  This was a “Sunday dinner” meal. I love roasted carrots — this is a good way to include vegetables in meals.

Recipe

I haven’t cooked a pot roast in many years — but I am a person who saves everything and easily found the recipe that I used to use. It dates back to a 1977 issue of the “Better Homes and Gardens” magazine and includes a homemade barbecue sauce that is ladled onto the roast as it bakes. Some things haven’t change and this recipe turned out to be delicious especially with the carrots, potatoes, celery, onions and garlic which were placed around the roast as it cooked.

Since the pot roast is cooked in the oven for several hours, relatively tough cuts of meat are tenderized during roasting. Boneless brisket, beef arm, chuck or shoulder roasts are cuts of meat which can be used in this recipe. This is a three pound boneless beef shoulder roast. These cuts of meat are full of flavor and very tender after cooking.

This recipe includes a flavorful barbecue sauce which really sets the dish apart. After browning the roast in seasoned flour (salt, pepper and paprika), combine the ingredients for the sauce (ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar).

Then I loaded everything into a large roasting pan, topped with the sauce, covered tightly with foil and baked for several hours until tender.

This is a recipe yields enough for a dinner for a family and it made several meals for the two of us. In fact, I used the beef for sandwiches and lunches all week. I thoroughly enjoyed all the vegetables along with the roast. And it is quite an easy dish to make — just chop of the vegetables, brown the meat, add the barbecue sauce and let the roast cook in the oven. It is a “one pot” meal. Enjoy.