a new recipe

I clipped this out a long time ago and stuck it in my recipe binder, but never made it until last week. It's pretty good especially if you like rutabaga, mmm. I mentioned it on facebook and Allison asked for the recipe, so here it is. Gail L. Jenner from Etna, California submitted it to Southern Living, but I don't know which issue it was in. My apologies to the MLA.

"Can't Be Beat Pot Roast" from Southern Living

1 3-to-4-lb. beef chuck roast
1 T. cooking oil (I used olive oil)
1/3 c. sweet Marsala wine (didn't have any, so I used Merlot)
2 t. dried basil, crushed
1 t. garlic salt
1/2 c. plum preserves (didn't have it, so I used strawberry)
4 med. potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into sixths
4 medium carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and halved crosswise (I used baby carrots)
1 large rutabaga*, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 med. onion, cut into large wedges
2 t. cornstarch
1 T. cold water

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven brown meat on both sides in hot oil. Drain off excess fat. In a small bowl stir together Marsala wine, 1/3 c. water, basil, garlic salt, and 1/2 t. pepper; pour over meat. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
2. In a small saucepan melt preserves; pour over roast. Add potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, and onion to Dutch oven around meat. Cover and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour longer or until meat and vegetables are tender, stirring vegetables once during cooking. Transfer meat and vegetables to serving platter; cover to keep warm.
3. For gravy, measure juices and skim off fat. If necessary, add enough water to juices to equal
1 1/2 cups. Return to pan. Stir together the cornstarch and the cold water. Stir into juices in the pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Serve with meat and vegetables. Makes 8 servings. (We got two meals out of this)





*Rutabaga looks like a huge turnip. It tastes like a cross between a carrot and a cabbage and it's delicious cut up in sticks and eaten fresh. If you don't like rutabaga, you could put a different vegetable in there or just add twice the potatoes and carrots. But, how could you not like rutabaga?!