Cowboy approved recipes used by our favorite country cooks.
In the kitchen with Mary Cowles of The Butcher, The Baker, The Coffeemaker and Pleasant Hill Farms of Rockfield, Ky.
Tell us about yourself.
"My family, which includes my husband, Gil, and our children, Corbin, Caroline, and Catherine, owns and operates Pleasant Hill Farms. The farm is a purebred Angus and Simmental seedstock operation located in south central Kentucky. Our operation’s roots trace back to Gil’s great-grandparents who purchased the original farm in 1920. We host two production sales every year, selling a large number of bulls to commercial cattle producers along with registered females to cattlemen all across the country.
We opened our meat farm store on June 15, 2024, and have been so overwhelmed with the support from our local community. It is obvious people truly enjoy supporting local businesses and we are so appreciative. Our store offers beef from our cattle operation and pork which we buy from a local farm in our community. All our meat (both beef and pork) is processed at Hampton Meats which is a USDA inspected processing facility in Hopkinsville, Ky. We sell Legacy Dairy milk which is absolutely delicious. We carry a variety of wonderful cheeses from Maid-N-Meadows Farms.
We also have photography from a local Bowling Green resident who captures the beauty of our country along with beautiful scenes of wildlife in their natural habitat. We carry locally made soy candles which are named after the prominent cow families in our operation and some that are named after things that mean a lot to our family (Farm Mornings and Blessings to name a few).
We sell Kentucky Mountain Coffee - something Gil and I have always enjoyed and yes, we drink it black. They have so many wonderful tasting coffees, but my favorite is Mountain Mornings. We have several to choose from and something for everyone."
What is your most requested dish?
"One of the recipes I have shared with you is “The Good Stuff.” It’s a very good casserole that goes perfect with Frito Scoops. My entire family really likes this dish, so I make it often. It is very quick and easy to make."
What is your least favorite job in the kitchen?
"Of course, the clean-up!!!"
What is your favorite cooking tip/trick?
"Never thaw meat in hot water - just put it in a sink of cold water and it will thaw rather quickly."
Where did you learn to cook?
"Our store is really not about me cooking but rather about the delicious farm raised beef and pork products we are able to offer our customers for them to enjoy in the kitchen or on the grill. But I did learn to cook from my mom. She knew how to cook, and I am sure she learned from her mom.
One of the things I truly treasure is that a little while before my mom died, I asked her to write down the recipe (ingredients and directions) for her cornbread dressing she made every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was the best dressing I have ever eaten. (Gil used to brag on Mom and tell her how delicious her cornbread dressing was. She loved him, and his compliments about her cooking always made her smile). Mom gave me a puzzled look and said, “I don’t use a recipe!” But she tried to think through it, and she did manage to write it down and walk me through how it all works. Our mom passed away a few years after that. My siblings and I, along with our families, got together for Thanksgiving and we tried to replicate what our mom made so many years of her life. It turned out fine but like Gil told us all that day, “It is not as good as what Nana made!” I hope I can make meals that taste as good as my mom did."
30th Annual Bull Sale:
Saturday, February 22, 2025
At the PHF sale facility near Rockfield, Ky.
Photos courtesy Mary Cowles
Learn more www.pleasanthillfarms.com
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