Spring Feast!

This Saturday, I made my first trip of the outdoor-market season to Green City Market. And aaaahhh, what a glorious trip it was!


I've literally been waiting months for this! And I couldn't be happier to get reacquainted with my most favorite Saturday activity. It was a fantastic weekend morning all around: an early bird market visit (8 AM) followed by Starbucks, a rhubarb muffin (from a local vendor), and the New York Times on a patio. A nice walk home finished the morning off perfectly.


And what's a girl with a bag full of produce to do with the rest of her day? Why, invite friends over for dinner - the perfect excuse to start cooking at 3 PM!


I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to make until crunch time. I picked up some nice lean lamb at Whole Foods, and, inspired by my Green City haul, I pretty much just winged the rest of it. There were a few recipes I'd been stashing away that made planning pretty much a no-brainer considering I'd picked up Spring's main stars: asparagus, green garlic, strawberries, and rhubarb.


A couple of bottles of red wine and some great company made Saturday night just as good as Saturday day. We really rung in Spring deliciously. Thanks to guests Taylor and Sarah (Fearless Cook loyalists)!
INGREDIENTS

Lamb

about 2 lbs. lean lamb roast (mine was in 2 pieces)
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
fresh chopped rosemary, oregano, and thyme
~1 cup rich red wine, such as Malbec
fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Radish Relish
Check out this recipe: Radish Relish.

Asparagus & Potato Gratin

4 medium Russet potatoes, boiled whole until about 3/4 of the way cooked, unpeeled
1 bunch thin fresh asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces on the bias
3 T. butter
2 stalks green garlic, halved and thinly sliced, white part only (or substitute 2 cloves garlic or 1 small leek)
2-3 T. flour
~1.5 c. milk
~1/2 c. white wine
salt and pepper
~1/2 lb. sharp white cheddar (leave a little for topping the gratin)
fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Biscuits

Check out Alton Brown's no-fail biscuit recipe here: You'll thank me later.

Rhubarb Compote

I got this recipe from Chow.com: Ridiculously easy.

Full dessert recipe ingredient list:

one batch Alton's biscuits, fresh from the oven
one recipe rhubarb compote, preferably warm (but mine was at room temp - the world continued to turn)
sliced fresh strawberries (don't skimp - get organic. Strawberries are one of the most pesticide-heavy fruits out there.)
a few dollops store-bought creme fraiche (or just substitute unsweetened whipped cream - you could also be extra-sinful and top them with vanilla ice cream)


STEP 1:

Make the radish relish, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Make biscuit dough, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. (NOTE: I didn't have buttermilk, so I just used regular milk (1%) and it was fine. I also added about 1 and a 1/2 tablespoons sugar to the recipe since I was making them for dessert.)

STEP 2:

Boil the potatoes, then set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the green garlic for about a minute. When the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes while whisking. Pour in the milk a little at time, whisking constantly, until the roux and milk are smooth and incorporated. Turn the heat up. Whisk in the wine. Add salt and pepper and bring the whole thing to a boil and cook for a few minutes to thicken. Add the cheese in two to three batches, whisking until it's melted and the whole thing is a smooth, fragrant, cheesy delight. Taste and adjust seasonings (make sure you don't skimp on salt - this will be the seasoning for the entire dish).

STEP 3:

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375. Slice the potatoes thinly (about 1/8" thick). Put a ladleful of the cheesy bechamel sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish. Place a single layer of potato slices on the bottom, then scatter half the asparagus pieces on top. Top with a couple ladlefuls of the bechamel. Repeat that process again. Place a final layer of potato slices on top, top with a little more bechamel, and sprinkle a light layer of cheese on top. Bake for about 30-45 minutes, until top is browned in places and edges are bubbly. Set aside and cover with a kitchen towel. Reheat in the oven about 10 minutes before serving.

STEP 4:

Reduce oven heat to 325. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Liberally season the lamb with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides. Remove meat from pot and set aside. Turn off stove heat and pour in wine, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the lamb to the pot and add garlic and herbs. Cover and roast for about 45 minutes to an hour, until lamb is medium (I overcooked my lamb, so just remember to check it and take it out of the oven before you think it's done. If it's underdone after resting for about 20 minutes, you can always stick it back in).

STEP 5:

When lamb is done, remove from its cooking liquid and slice thinly. Return to cooking liquid and cover until ready to serve. Place on a serving platter, ladle some cooking liquid on top, top with fresh chopped parsley and a few spoonfuls of radish relish. Serve with the hot gratin. Enjoy!

STEP 6:

Preheat oven to 350. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it's about 3/4" thick. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter (or glass, which is what I used), cut the dough into rounds and place on a baking sheet lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until biscuits rise and become golden-brown on top. Use a fork to pry them in half and top with a few spoonfuls of rhubarb compote. Top with sliced strawberries and a dollop of creme fraiche. Serve while biscuits are still warm. Enjoy!

Eat well and enjoy life, friends! More soon...

OMG Lamb (and Cumin-Roasted Carrots & Potatoes)

Since Sunday, I've been repeating a particular mantra: "All I want to do is go home and cook that f***ing lamb!"


Why the foul-mouthed theatrics? Well, first there was The Epic Oven Fail of 2010 (Adam, remember how much I adore you). I bought a 6 lb. ($40) leg (LEG!) of lamb from Whole Foods on Sunday morning, psyched to (as I had promised) roast it in Adam's oven and serve it for the Superbowl festivities he was hosting. At 2 PM the day of the big game, Adam texted me saying his oven was suffering from an electrical failure, rendering it locked (LOCKED!), and thus unable to roast said lamb (or to cook his delicious stuffed pizza, trucked in from Indiana).

Needless to say, we all survived. The Saints were victorious, and the patron saint of snack foods, St. Guacamole, saved the day.

Then came Monday. I rarely curse (on this blog, I mean), but Monday was an undeniable shitshow from the very beginning. Said shitshow continued well into the evening (until midnight, to be precise), as my Digitas team toiled into the night creating brilliant online advertising that will one day be avoided by all of you in a fit of irritation.

I digress.

Back to the lamb. As you can see, for the past 48 hours, my lonely leg of lamb, having made the arduous trek from New Zealand to the Whole Foods in Boystown, was left to marinate in the fridge for a full 48 hours in a blanket of the delectable Tunisian chile paste, harissa. It had been sitting in salt and harissa for two days. And that, my friends, is not a curse - it is a blessing of the most savory, meaty variety.

Because that lamb, I swear to God, was the most delicious meat I have ever put into my mouth. Most. Delicious. Meat. Ever.
You all KNOW how I feel about meat: lukewarm, at best! But this was no ordinary meat. It was the best. Ever.

So, in conclusion, I advise all of you to buy an absurdly large and expensive leg of lamb, rub something all over it, and then become too busy to cook it for two days. In the end, you will thank me. Seriously.


INGREDIENTS

6-lb. leg of lamb, bone-in (fresh)
lots of harissa paste (I used about a half a jar)
lots of kosher salt (don't be shy, salt it up, it's a whole damn lamb's leg for god's sake)
1/3 c. olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
lots of freshly chopped cilantro
lots of freshly chopped parsley
3 medium carrots, in large chunks
7-8 baby yukon gold potatoes, halved
1 red onion, in large dice
drizzle olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste

STEP ONE:

Place the raw lamb leg in a large baking dish (I used a 9 X 12 casserole dish, and the lamb bone hung out the side - I also had to turn the dish sideways when I put it in the oven - the hilarity of living in a shoebox), fat-side up. Make shallow slices in the top of it, diagonally going both ways (making an allover X pattern). Rub with salt, then harissa. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 1-2 days. In an airtight container, combine olive oil, garlic, cilantro, and parsley. Shake. Refrigerate that also.

STEP TWO:

Preheat the oven to 450. Toss the carrots, onion, and potatoes in the olive oil with salt, pepper, and cumin in a baking dish. Set aside.

STEP THREE:

Take lamb out of fridge. Remove plastic or foil. Rub the harissa into the lamb again (not new harissa, just the same harissa - jsut give it a rub). Pour the oil-garlic-herb mixture over the top. Place the lamb in oven and roast at 450 for about 30 minutes.

STEP FOUR:

Turn the heat down to 350 and place the potato/onion/carrots into the oven with the lamb. Roast the veggies and lamb for another hour. After an hour, take the meat's temperature. The lamb needs to reach an internal temp of 145 (make sure the meat thermometer does not touch the bone). If the lamb is up to temp, remove it from the oven and cover it with aluminum foil. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Let the veggies keep roasting till the lamb is done resting.

STEP FIVE:

Slice the lamb. Serve it with the vegetables. Enjoy!

Lamb Stew with Exotic Flavors PLUS Bonus Dinner!

Whenever I go to yoga, it makes me think of India. I have a small - OK large -
obsession with that country...and no, I haven't been there - yet (I'm currently accepting donations to the Send Me to India Fund - rupees and dollars accepted).

This manifests itself in a myriad of ways: a chai latte at Starbucks, microwaveable palak paneer pouches, and - if I'm most fortunate - a trip to the Indian buffet. At the very least, my yoga-cum-Indian-cravings at the very least motivate me to scrounge through my spice cabinet for interesting flavors.


I had almost forgotten about my half-pouch of ras el hanout from my trip to the Spice House awhile back. I thought it would be the perfect way to lend a transcontinental flair to the lamb stew I was planning on making this evening (from the leftover Mint Creek farm lamb that I'd frozen). Frankly, I wasn't sure how the ras el hanout would blend with the spices that I'd rubbed on the lamb before (garlic, thyme, etc.), but this being the Fearless kitchen and all, I figured I'd throw it all in and see what came of it.

Oh - now might be the time in my narrative to explain that ras el hanout is not actually an Indian spice - it's Middle Eastern. Sometimes, my Indian obsession manifests itself in ways that, quite frankly, make very little geographical sense. That notwithstanding, I present to you:

LAMB STEW WITH EXOTIC FLAVORS OVER COUSCOUS

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. lamb leg (mine was previously roasted and frozen; fresh would obviously be ideal)
1 large baking potato, unpeeled, cut into large chunks
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/2 red onion (or any onion), chunked
1 and 1/2 T. ras el hanout
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. cooked whole wheat couscous
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
salt and pepper


STEP ONE:

Combine all ingredients except for couscous in Crockpot. Cook over low for 6 hours, until lamb is spoon-tender.*

STEP TWO:

Cook couscous according to package directions. Serve lamb stew over couscous and top with cilantro. Enjoy!

*When cooking in a Crockpot, I never season with salt and pepper until the very end. The nature of slow-cooking dictates that you can't taste your dish all along, so I recommend waiting until the end to season, so you don't grossly oversalt something.

The lamb stew came out really well - the lamb was fall-apart tender, the potatoes were hearty, and the ras el hanout made it all interesting. The flavors of ras el hanout are so different from typical, everyday American flavors - I really encourage you to try some if you happen across it.

I wanted to include this little BONUS recipe, just because I made it the other night, and I thought it would be a great introduction to those just beginning to experiment in the kitchen. So many people say to me, "I read your blog, but I know I could never make those recipes!" Not true. Something like the beans-rice-and-sausage recipe below (inspired by the much more complex jambalaya, a favorite of mine) is something that literally an 8-year-old could make (provided he or she could safely wield a can-opener).

I whipped this up on a chill Saturday night in, and it was the perfect bowl of hearty goodness to curl up and eat on the couch, book in hand. (It would also be wonderful topped with a dollop of sour cream.) So to those of you who wouldn't know a whisk from a waffle iron, behold the following: a meal you can make at home, easily and quickly, with very inexpensive ingredients. Magic!

EASIEST DINNER EVER, A.K.A. BEANS, RICE, AND KIELBASA

INGREDIENTS

about 15 thin slices kielbasa sausage*
1 can "Southwest" style black beans
1 can stewed tomatoes
1/2 c. dry white rice
splash of chicken broth
squeeze of hot sauce
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

*I have a ton of kielbasa around due to my CostCo trip awhile back, but this is also great with chicken, shrimp, or really any variety of sausage (turkey Italian sausage would be good), or with tofu if you're a vegetarian. If you don't like tofu but don't eat meat, I'd throw in something with a neutral flavor, like zucchini. It would also be good with butternut squash.


STEP ONE:

In a large skillet, brown kielbasa. Do not drain.

STEP TWO:

Add the beans with liquid, tomatoes with juices, and rice to the skillet. Cover and cook until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes, adding a little chicken broth if the mixture isn't liquidy enough. Stir in the hot sauce and top with cilantro. Enjoy!

Roasted Leg of Lamb & Parsnip-Potato Puree

When I bought this leg of lamb, I justified the $35 price tag by reminding myself that I was, after all, helping out my local farmers. Additionally, I knew that the lamb had been raised humanely, wasn't fed any creepy hormones, and was probably loved. But as soon as I bit into a juicy, perfectly roasted bite, I realized that that was the only justification I needed.

Of course, I couldn't have known that at the time. I had no faith, standing there holding 3 and a half pounds of meat, that I could do this little lamb justice. Nonetheless, into my shopping bag it went. About a minute later I texted the LeCroys and told them to cancel any Sunday night plans, because we were going to feast like kings! (It's important to always project confidence.)


ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH PARSNIP-POTATO PUREE AND PEACH SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

LAMB:

3.5 lb. boneless leg of lamb
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 sprigs fresh oregano, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
3 T. olive oil, plus more for herb rub
2 T. butter

SAUCE:

1 small container beef stock
3 T. peach preserves
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 sprig rosemary
2 T. butter

PARSNIP-POTATO PUREE

2 parsnips, peeled and chopped into large chunks
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 c. half and half
3 T. butter
salt and pepper

SALAD & DRESSING:

spring mix
1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced
1 T. dijon mustard
1-2 T. honey
juice of one lemon
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
1 small shallot, minced

STEP ONE:

Preheat oven to 325. Have a roasting pan with removable roasting rack ready. In a skillet, melt the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Season the lamb on all sides VERY well with salt and pepper. Brown the lamb on all sides. Transfer to roasting rack in pan and pour all accompanying juices/leftover oil with it.


STEP TWO:

Poke about a dozen small holes in the top of the leg with a knife. Stick the garlic slices in the holes, and also in any natural crevices the meat has. Sprinkle any extra garlic on top and around the lamb. To make the herb rub for the lamb, mix the oregano and rosemary with enough olive oil to moisten the herbs. Add some salt and pepper and stir with your fingers. When the lamb is cool enough to touch, spread the herb-oil mixture over the top, rubbing it into the meat.


STEP THREE:

Roast the lamb for about 2 hours on 325, until it's medium rare to medium. You can also use a meat thermometer. The meat should be about 145 degrees after a 10-minute resting period.

STEP FOUR:

Boil the potatoes and parsnips in a large pot of salted water until tender. The parsnips may need a bit longer than the potatoes, so you can put them in about 5 minutes before you add the potatoes. Drain.


STEP FIVE:

Heat the half and half in the microwave until hot. Return the potatoes and parsnips to the pot. Stir in the butter until melted. Add the hot half and half and season with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork, then finish by pureeing it in the pot with an immersion blender (or use a food processor or blender).


STEP SIX:

Bring all ingredients under "SAUCE" except butter to a boil, leaving the rosemary sprig intact. Reduce by about half, until the mixture is thickened. Remove the rosemary sprig. Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter.

STEP SEVEN:

Wash the salad and toss the cucumbers with the leaves. Combine the rest of the ingredients to make a quick vinaigrette, and drizzle over the salads.

STEP EIGHT:

After the lamb has rested for 10-15 minutes, slice it. Serve it on top of a heaping spoonful of parsnip-potato puree, and top the lamb with the peach sauce. Enjoy!



JUDGES' VERDICTS:

TAYLOR: The lamb was very well prepared. Just the way you want it with a tender inside and flavorful, garlicky exterior. The peach jus complimented it perfectly with a touch of sweetness. The parsnip puree had a nice smooth texture and rich flavor, which provided a nice starch to balance the meat. I'd call this my favorite Fearless Meal of all time, and there have been many, many good ones.

SARAH: Absolutely divine! The sauce and rub had the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. I preferred the pieces that were less red, more in the medium well range. The parsnip mashed potatoes were a perfect creamy side dish. I had no idea I liked lamb so much!

MY VOTE ON MY DISH: 9 stars! Maybe even 9.5. But I give all - ALL - the credit to the lamb and the farmers. I am 100% positive that I would not have had such delicious results with a more inferior piece of meat (i.e., commercially raised/processed, etc.). I was thrilled with how it came out. And Sarah makes a great point about the medium vs. medium-rare parts - the great thing about a large cut of meat like this is that different pieces are at different doneness levels, and people can pick the sections they like best. The parsnip-potato puree is simply a testament to the power of butter and half and half and the magic they work on mashed carbs. I liked that side dish so much, though, that I am definitely going to incorporate it into my repertoire of go-to side dishes when cooking for guests. It has so few ingredients, but is soooo yummy. I thought I might've gone overboard on the garlic (as I am wont to do), but it really only penetrates the top layer of the meat, so it's not overpowering. The herb rub was divine, too. I'm giving myself a pat on the back! And I'm so glad my guests liked it as much as I did.

Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. LeCroy, and thanks for reading. More soon!