This savory pasta is packed with ooey gooey cheese, a rich pork sauce, and satisfying cavatappi noodles. Its an easy inexpensive family friendly dish. 

Ingredients: 

16 ounces cavatappi noodles

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

4 ounces shredded parmesan cheese 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 pound lean ground pork 

Lavender Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

2 cups tomato sauce

1 tablespoon italian seasoning

6 springs fresh basil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions: 
In a pot of salted water, boil your pasta until slightly under done, about 6 minutes. In a large skillet over medium high heat, warm your oil. Add your pork and heat until browned and cooked through (about 8-10 minutes). Add your lavender salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook for an additional 30 seconds. Then add your sauce, italian seasoning, and basil. Stir until combined. Grease a 9x13 pan and pour your noodles into it. Then cover the noodles with the sauce and mix. Then cover with both the parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese on top is bubbly and golden, about 20 minutes. You can top with additional basil leaves if desired. 

This is a quick, no brainer meal that will leave everyone in your family happy and with a full tummy. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan is a great meal to whip up when you haven't had a chance to run to the grocery store. It uses mostly pantry and fridge items that most of us keep on hand. This dish has a great crunch from the breading but the inside of the chicken is tender and moist. It has a nice salty bite from the mozzarella as well. Its a wonderful way to please your family's palets with not a ton of work. You can make this dish in under 30 minutes! 

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts
1/4 cup whole wheat flour 
1 tablespoon italian seasoning 
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cups crushed cornflakes
1/3 cup grated parmesan 
Salt and pepper 
2 tbs olive oil
16 ounces marinara sauce
1 lb fresh mozzarella 
3 leaves fresh basil 

Directions: 

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut your chicken into 8 cutlet type pieces. Pat each piece with a paper towel and then salt and pepper the chicken on each side. 

Make 3 shallow bowls to bread your chicken in. In bowl #1 place your flour. In bowl #2 place your eggs and beat them. In bowl #3 place your parmesan, cornflakes, and italian seasoning. 

 In a large skillet, heat your oil over medium high heat. When your oil starts to bubble, place your chicken in the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes on each side until its nice and golden. 

Pour your marinara into a large baking dish. Nestle the chicken on top of the marinara. Cut up your mozzarella log into thin slices and top your chicken with the cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden, about 25 minutes. Top with fresh basil leaves. 

This is a satisfying meal if Ive ever had one. The sauce and cheese make this chicken taste decadent. Its salty and creamy, and will certainly have you going back for seconds! 

Enjoy!

My lovely friend just completed his first deer hunt. His beautiful wife had no idea what to do with all of that venison, so they gifted a bunch of it to us. While deer and elk love to frequent the lavender apple farm, they don't frequent the kitchen. 

When I looked online for a good venison recipe, all I could find was hunting websites. And no offense to all of my hunter friends, but most of the recipes I found just had you brown the meat with a jar of marinara sauce and call it good. We wanted to try something a little bit gourmet. We also thought simmering the meat for 30 minutes removed the gamey-ness of the meat. By the time we were done you could not have guess this was not a beef sauce! 

1 lb venison
1/2 onion
1/2 bell pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Tyme
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp parsley
Salt pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 stalk celery
3/4 box spaghetti noodles 

Brown your venison in a large saucepan with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Salt and Pepper lightly.  
Once thoroughly browned, remove it from the pan and set aside. Using the left over grease in the pan, cook your onions, celery, and bell pepper until softened. Salt and pepper lightly. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. And 1/2 a cup of white wine and simmer for a few minutes. Add your diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, marinara sauce, oregano, tyme, parsley, and salt and pepper lightly. Simmer for 30 minutes. When you sauce has about 10 minutes left, boil your pasta in salted water. Combine pasta and sauce, top with fresh parmesan. 

This may not be the fancy Parisian dishes you are used to seeing from Peggy, but its the perfect down home farm meal for anyone looking for a great way to utilize your deer meat! 

Enjoy!