Grandson Nathaniel loves a challenge, meaning he is willing to cook anything you desire. John had a longing for duck, and Nate was eager to please his granddad. My photo of the two of them does not show off the food well.

We sat down to a meal of duck, orange sauce, beet salad, and Nathaniel’s raspberry sorbet. The naked duck looked defenseless in the roasting pan but improved with cooking. The meat was good and provided a reasonable background for Nate’s fabulous orange sauce. He created the sauce and said he should write it down. Indeed, he should! It was the best meat sauce I’ve ever eaten.

Carving the duck was not easy. John provided vocal support as Nathaniel worked with it. The real problem was that there wasn’t much meat. That scrawny duck grudgingly gave us four skimpy servings.

The beet salad was both lovely and tasty. He roasted the beets, coated them with a light dressing, and added spinach and pecans. I’ve always been fond of beets, and his dish was superb. I’m looking forward to leftovers of that.

The raspberry sorbet provided the perfect ending to the meal, along with his fresh-ground coffee.  Oh!  How blessed we are when Nathaniel comes to visit!