03/13/2026
There’s something special about watching veterans serve a meal they cooked themselves for the people they care about.
Last night, March 11, 2026, marked the final class of the V.E.T.S. Cowboy Kitchen Spring Series, and it was a great way to wrap up this session.
Cowboy Kitchen brings together veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders to learn the basics of cast iron, cowboy-style cooking, while building camaraderie around the table. For the final night, each participant invites family or a loved one to share a dinner prepared by the students themselves, a VETS tradition that always makes for a special evening.
This session all of the recipes come from the cookbooks of the “Cast Iron Cowboy,” Kent Rollins, and his wife Shannon, whose support of this program means a great deal to us. We also presented the Kent Rollins Most Improved Chef Award, recognizing the veteran who showed the most growth and confidence throughout the series. This session it was AJ Lanati.
We are so grateful to Dan and Lynne Price of Kitch in Olde Mistick Village for generously hosting and instructing the program, as well as Dawn and the owners of Stomping Horse Wines for their sponsorship and support.
A special thank you goes out to Zachary Nielsen, VETS Board of Directors and Cowboy Kitchen Program Head, for his leadership and dedication in making this program possible.
We’re excited to announce that the next Cowboy Kitchen session will begin in May, and we look forward to continuing to serve our veterans, active-duty service members, first responders, and their families.
If you are interested in any of the programs you see here on our page or would like to donate, please reach out or visit our webpage.
