Kentucky Backroad

Central Kentucky is an amazingly beautiful place to live. This past weekend, the weather was warm and the skies were blue. A perfect time to steal away, with family, for a few hours and enjoy one of our lovely back roads. We don't have to travel far to find a country road bordered by an old stacked stone fence and filled with promises of beautiful things to come.

Who knew that our area had so many up and coming wineries. Places to sample the local product or grab a bite to eat. 

But this day the road is beckoning, so that will have to wait for another day. The road I am on is named Grimes Mill Road, and what could be more fitting than an old mill stone propped by the side of the road.

I live in horse country, so even though I don't see any horses grazing in the fields on this road today, I know the old hunt club is just down the road. I am not disappointed when I find it nestled down at the bottom of a ravine,decked out for Halloween.

This is where the drive gets really interesting. The hunt club backs up to a rocky bed creek surrounded by limestone cliffs.

and the road begins to narrow

and narrow more

until we are on a one lane bridge that will lead us up and out of the ravine.

but, before the road ends, we pass hideaways and I wonder what is behind this beautiful closed gate

maybe an old log home like this one down the road.

I guess I'll have to wait for my invitation to arrive in the mail in order to find out.


In the meantime, all that driving made us hungry, so we headed back to town to enjoy some good old Kentucky cooking. I was thinking a Hot Brown sounded good.

The Legendary Hot Brown Recipe

from The Brown Hotel

Ingredients (Makes Two Hot Browns):

• 2 oz. Whole Butter
• 2 oz. All Purpose Flour
• 1 Qt. Heavy Cream
• 1/2 Cup Pecorino Romano Cheese, Plus 1 Tablespoon for Garnish
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
• 14 oz. Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast
• 2 Slices of Texas Toast (Crust Trimmed)
• 4 slices of Crispy Bacon
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced in Half
• Paprika, Parsley

 Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a two-quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk whipping cream into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. 

For each Hot Brown, place one slice of toast in an oven safe dish and cover with 7 ounces of turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and set them alongside the base of turkey and toast. Next, pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese. Place entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

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