It’s Sunday. I was watching football and trying this recipe from “Paris in a Basket” (Nicolle Aimee Meyer & Amanda Pilar Smith), a book I was told I’d like.
True. I like it very much.
And, so when our neighbor Lynn called us suggesting we have drinks on her porch, we, instead, invited her up to our porch for cosmos, dinner and the chance to try a simple French meal that I’d had in the oven for a few hours.
Lynn brought goat cheese covered in blueberries, we poured our drinks and, I have to say, from that point on… the night was an example of epicurious comfort. (we ended the meal with goodies from our local chocolatier)
The only thing I changed in this recipe is as follows: This afternoon, while out in the convertible, we stopped at a local farmers market where Sandy picked up some red carrots. I understood why she could not resist their beauty so I added them to the vegetable composition. Note:(after the veggies have been in the oven for 1/2 hour you might need to take the pan out, sprinkle a little olive oil over the potatoes, carrots and onion and toss, then put them back in the oven to finish baking) Enjoy!

1 pork shoulder roast (approximately 3.5 to 4.5 lbs./ 1.6 to 2 kg)
5 garlic cloves
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lbs. roasting potatoes, quartered or sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Cut garlic cloves in half and insert them into the roast. Coat the roast with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan on top of the bay leaves and a couple sprigs of thyme. Distribute the remaining stems of thyme around the roast along with the chopped onion and pour in the wine.
Place the roast in a cold oven and set temperature to 350 degrees F. Cook for 1 1/4 hours, basting every once in a while. Add potatoes and put back in oven for 45 minutes until the roast and potatoes are cooked.
Slice the roast, surround with potatoes on the serving dish and strain over the juices from the roasting pan.