Dark Days Challenge Final Week: Braised Lamb Shoulder Chop, Smashed Potatoes and Celery Root, and Bitter Greens

Lamb again? you're thinking. I know, I've gotten myself into some kind of rut, between all the lamb, and and potatoes, and roasted beets, and the staples of cooking through a winter that just won't end. It will be April in two days, and yet it's still been too cold to go for a bike ride (in my opinion).

Since it's still acting like winter, I figured I might as well cook like it by warming up the apartment with some braising action after work last Wednesday. This time around, I was dealing with lamb shoulder chops, which are a cheaper and tougher cut than the lamb rib chops that I grilled up the other week, so I figured they would benefit from a tenderizing braise in the oven. I diced onions and garlic and sauteed them in a large pan with olive oil over medium heat. Since the pan was large enough and the lamb chop small enough (only about .65 lb - part of my ploy to save money and eat less meat), I also browned the lamb at the same time. I added about 2/3 cup red wine, salt, pepper, tarragon, and thyme to the pan, and let it come to a simmer to reduce the wine a little. Then I transfered it all to a casserole dish and put it in the oven at 375 for an hour and a half.

I had enough time to take a shower, put on my comfy pajamas, and begin a glass of wine before I needed to start preparing the smashed potatoes and celery root. My inspiration was Alice Waters' recipe for celery root and potato puree in her holy-grail-of-seasonal-cooking-book, The Art of Simple Food. I was lucky enough to find this book on the shelf at the library last week and it's now on the (extremely) short list of books I deem worthy of owning. You see, I don't really like owning books or movies. It seems like a waste of money, space, and environmental resources. I much prefer taking things out from the library when I want to enjoy them. But, The Art of Simple Food is an encyclopediac resource of the building blocks of cooking that I would love to have on hand year round. I surely won't be able to absorb much before I have to return it in a couple weeks.

This was my first foray into cooking celery root, or celeriac, which is a kind of celery prized for its large root rather than its stems. It really did have a faint whiff and taste of regular celery. Alice Waters wanted me to peel it, slice it thinly, throw it in a pan with 3 tbsp butter, and let it cook covered for 15 minutes until tender. However, I get scared cooking with a lot of butter, so I cooked it with 1 tbsp butter and about a 1/3 cup water. It browned a little, but I like to think that added to the flavor. Meanwhile, I cooked blue and red potatoes (hence the pinkish color in the photo) in salted boiling water for about 15 minutes until tender. Then Alice Waters wanted me to push all the veggies through a ricer to puree them. But since I don't have a ricer and I wasn't in the mood to have to wash my food processor either, I just mashed them all with a fork, leaving some chunks, added a little milk and butter, and called it smashed potatoes and celery root instead.

I served the lamb and onion over large dollops of the smashed stuff, and then spooned the braising liquid on top. On the side, we ate a salad of local bitter greens (baby kale and mustard) with a balsamic vinaigrette and toasted (more like burned) almonds. It doesn't look very pretty, and the dish wasn't anything to coo over. It was just an average meal. The sweetness of the braised red wine covered up the elegant celery flavor so much that Jesse said he didn't taste celery at all. And the flavors of the dish altogether were pretty muted. I actually noticed that the red wine, Barbera d'Alba, was too spicy and overpowering in comparison, and my wine palate is usually never that discerning.

Later that night, I had to change back out of my comfy pajamas into hipster clothing for an absinthe open bar down the block. I do not recommend this is a way to try absinthe. The bartender was pushing half-full shots of watered-down pale green absinthe at us. It tasted like a watery licorice liquor that went down easy, but wasn't very exciting.

On another side note, I do recommend watching this Laurie Anderson video. I don't know much of anything about Laurie Anderson or her music, except that my uncle played in her band in the 80s, but I accompanied Jesse to see her perform selections from her new album Homeland at Carnegie Hall last week. I thought half the songs had a very boring feel, with ambient accompaniment and her weak voice singing the same refrains over and over again. The other half were much better - more like spoken word with music - very witty and engaging and relevant to the state of America today, and also very liberal, especially for Carnegie Hall. The highlight was "Only an Expert," which offers a critique of how the American populace sucumbs to the whims of "experts," whether those be big companies, media, or politicians. Check it out on YouTube here.

Dark Days Challenge Week 10: Grilled Lamb Leg Steak, Broccoli, and Oven-Baked Fries; Chocolate Bananas

Continuing with the lamb theme, I made sure to go to the 3-Corner Field Farm stand at the Greenmarket last week, figuring it would be one of their last weeks before the lambing season begins. It turned out I was right, so I indulged and bought ground lamb as well as lamb leg steak. After reading on Farmgirl Fare that lamb leg steak is her her favorite cut of lamb, I figured I had to try it. Instead of the whole leg of lamb, which is popular this time of year for Easter dinners, it's a slice through the leg with one small bone running through it and cooks up more quickly.

My cut of lamb leg steak was nice and thick though, so it certainly took its time on the grill. Before cooking, I marinated it using rosemary and garlic, traditional flavors associated with lamb. I mixed together 1 tsp fresh rosemary, 2 large diced cloves garlic, lemon zest and juice of half a lemon, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper; then rubbed the lamb around in the mixture on both sides and let it marinate for an hour. Jesse grilled it on low, to be sure not to overcook it, for about 12 minutes on each side, leaving it medium-rare. I actually wished the rosemary and garlic flavors would have been stronger in the final cooked lamb, so I recommend amping up to 1 tbsp fresh rosemary and 3 or 4 cloves garlic. However, my rosemary plant has been suffering sad and spindly looking indoors all winter and I was afraid to snip too much off of it. I'm just hoping it survives another month till I can put it out on the deck along with the other herb plants I'm planning to grow.

The grilled lamb leg steak tasted surprisingly like steak from a cow, just slightly more tender. Jesse voted that he liked lamb steak better than bison steak because the lamb is juicier and more flavorful, but I actually preferred the bison better for its tenderness and leanness.

To go with the lamb, we made our usual oven-baked fries. Also, I committed a locavore sin. With all of these weekend trips, I haven't had a chance to go to the Greenmarket on a Saturday, which is the only day I can find vegetables besides potatoes and onions. I really wanted something green to accompany the dinner, so I caved and bought broccoli at a nearby grocery store. I chopped the broccoli, stems and all and sauteed it for a few minutes with garlic. Then I added my balsamic-mustard sauce that I often cook kale in (1 tsp mustard, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp water, salt, pepper, and thyme) and covered the pan hoping it would sort of steam and soften the broccoli. However, the stems especially never really softened, so I recommend slicing the stems thinly or parboiling the broccoli before cooking it in the balsamic-mustard mixture.


After dinner, Jesse surprised me by disappearing into the kitchen and coming back with a couple bananas and a bowl of chocolate chips melted in the microwave. It was a delightful treat I'd never heard of before: dunking a banana in melted chocolate and continuing to dunk it as you go (warning: do not eat this with anyone who has a fear of double dipping). No this was not local, but I think it would also work well with apple slices. And isn't he sweet for thinking of it?

Dark Days Challenge Week 9: Grilled Lamb Rib Chops with Fries

I bought the cutest lamb rib chops at the farmers market last weekend. Just look at how little they are on the plate. But it was actually the perfect amount of meat to eat without feeling stuffed. I marinated them for an hour in a mixture of garlic, balsamic vinegar, water, mustard, salt, and pepper, and then Jesse grilled them. I had never had lamb chops before and they were so fun to eat. They are bone-in,
so we just picked them up and gnawed at them like cavemen. We also enjoyed oven roasted Adirondack blue potato fries on the side, with our favorite mayonnaise and vinegar dipping sauce. I could eat those fries allll day. Afterward, we had a sliced roasted beet for "dessert" because it took so much longer to cook than the potatoes.

I really think eating locally and seasonally has expanded my food repertoire. Eating meat used to mean cooking with boneless skinless chicken breast, or turning ground meat into hamburgers or pasta meat sauce, without ever thinking outside the box. Eating vegetables used to mean throwing carrots, peppers, onion, and broccoli in a stir fry. Now I realize there are so many more options out there. It's much more
fun.

Dark Days Challenge Week 7: Braised Lamb Shanks and Cabbage over Rice

I know I said weeks ago that I would be making braised lamb shanks soon, but life got in the way. It was hard to find time to go to Union Square to procure the shanks from 3-Corner Field Farm, and then to find at least three hours to hang out in the house while the shanks cooked away in the oven. This weekend, I worked out a plan - Saturday I would stay home, bake bread, and cook lamb for diner, and then Sunday we could go out and play, somewhere upstate to indulge fantasies of wanting to move out of the city.


So while Jesse went out drinking in the afternoon (his typical weekend activity), I baked a loaf of bread, made crackers inspired by Straight by the Farm (that turned out too thick and tough because I didn't roll them thin enough and I skimped on the oil, so be careful about that), made a hummus with kale that turned out fab, made braised lamb, and and braised cabbage. I was going to make them in the same pan, until I realized that lamb is meant to braised in red wine and green cabbage is not. So two separate pans it was. And then Jesse made the rice. We used Red Himalayan Rice that was a gift from Jesse's mom, but you could also serve this over brown rice, polenta, or mashed potatoes. And then after we ate I did all the dishes while he watched TV. Housewife much??


After all that we were too full on crackers and hummus to really enjoy the meal. But at least we will have lots of tasty leftovers. I was a little disappointed by how fatty the lamb tasted, but maybe I should have expected that. Or maybe I should have done a better job cutting off the fat (I am horrible at cutting off fat, it's so hard to maneuver a slippery piece of meat and a knife.) But still overall a good dinner - tender meat falling off the bone, with soft warm wedges of cabbage and sweet red rice.


Braised Lamb Shanks
butter
olive oil
2 lamb shanks
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken stock
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 325.
Trim fat off the lamb shanks.
Brown shanks in butter and olive oil over medium high heat, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove lamb and drain off most of the fat.
Add a little more olive oil to the pan and return lamb to pan. Sautee diced garlic and onion over medium heat with the lamb.
Once onion has softened, add red wine, salt and pepper. Bring to boil and then let simmer a few minutes until wine has reduced by half.
Add chicken stock, bring to boil, and let simmer a few minutes. Transfer everything to a casserole pan and add additional stock if needed, until shanks are covered halfway. Cover pan and place in oven.
Let braise in oven for 2 1/2 hours until tender, turning shanks over halfway.
Serve each lamb shank over rice and cabbage, with spoonfuls of the sauce the lamb was cooked in.


Braised Green Cabbage
1 medium head green cabbage
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
olive oil
salt
pepper

Once lamb shanks are in oven, prepare cabbage. Discard outer layer of green cabbage. Chop off bottom core. Cut into approximately eight wedges. Lay cabbage in a large baking dish. Dice onion and garlic and scatter over pan. Pour in chicken stock. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and olive oil. Cover and let braise in oven for 1 1/2 hour until tender.

Dark Days Challenge Week 4: Lamb and Vegetable Stew

Now that I go to the Union Square Greenmarket on Saturdays, I have a much wider selection than I'm used to. I even saw venison this week - I didn't think it was legal to sell that! (Jesse loves venison, but I didn't buy it...to give him incentive to join me on next week's trip to the Greenmarket so that he can get it and I can have company). What I did end up getting was lamb from 3-Corner Field Farm in Shushan, NY (200 miles away, near Saratoga Springs but nestled in a valley on the border of New York and Vermont). I'm kind of obsessed with this farm now. Just look at how cute those sheep look in the photo on their website. I've already decided that next weekend I'm going to buy lamb shanks so I can make their recipe for lamb shanks with red wine, garlic, and rosemary. Maybe with mashed potatoes and turnips. Can you tell I plan my meals too far in advance?


This week, I've just started reading In Defense of Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planc, which champions "real food," such as meat, milk and vegetables, that humans have eaten for thousands of years, over the modern glut of industrialized foods. She makes the interesting point that it is nutritionally beneficial to eat meat, butter, and cheese, which in this age are all feared for the threat of cholesterol, as long as they come from pasture-raised animals. I know I've heard this before, but can't quite remember where (Omnivore's Dilemna or maybe Animal, Vegetable, Miracle?) and Planc provides scientific evidence to back up her theories, but as a psych major, I remain skeptical because I haven't done the research myself. Yet, it was great to see 3-Corner Field Farm's website reaffirm the claim that naturally raised, grass fed lamb contains more omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), vitamin E, which are all linked to lower risks of heart disease and cancer, than factory-farmed meat.


I know environmentalists are advocating vegetarianism to save the planet and humanity, but I think the better route is to eat humanely and naturally-raised meat from local farms and to eat it sparingly. Humans are omnivores and should continue to eat meat as they have since forever, but they should do it with a conscience. This argument is hot topic right now, which I recently read on Jen's inpiring food blog Last Night's Dinner and in the New York Times, thanks to Mark Bittman. And this is something that even I struggle with. I know I shouldn't always eat meat when I'm out at restaurants, when I know nothing about the path of that slaughtered animal to my table. I know I shouldn't cook so much meat at home. But I don't think that soy protein every day is healthy and I am surprised by so many vegetarians I know (including myself during college) who blindly eat processed foods up the wazoo in the form of veggie burgers and fake bacon without knowing what they're actually eating or its impact on their environment. I have a boyfriend who feels he must eat meat almost daily to feel healthy and satisfied. My personal choice then for our household is to only cook meats that are pasture-raised and procured from local farms, and to supplant meat-based meals with lots of vegetables and/or beans so that they can be stretched into multiple servings and leftovers. I'm also going to try to remember to eat fish at least once a week and to cook vegetarian meals (look forward to lots of beans) at least once a week. This choice makes me feel happy (to eat great food and support local farms) and healthy (to eat food that is better at providing nutrients than supermarket food).


Back to what I made today - I bought boneless pieces of lamb shoulder that are perfet for stewing, and combined them in my crock pot (which doesn't get nearly enough action to justify its existence) with one of every vegetable from my fridge. It was done in less than six hours while I was busy (or actually, lazy) doing other things this afternoon - easy and so delicious. It reminded me of the simple beef and vegetable stews that my mother frequently made in her crockpot when I was growing up. The long time in the crockpot really mellowed out the flavors of the lamb and vegetables, while intensifying the water into a sweet broth. Jesse paired his with quinoa, a grain that originated in the Andes and provides a balanced set of amino acids (pictured above), while I enjoyed mine with lightly toasted homemade wheat bread because I'm not overly fond of quinoa. This stew was the perfect ending to a cold afternoon walk with my boy and my dog in Prospect Park.


And I just couldn't resist posting this photo of my dog Spencer, who is too cute in his plaid winter jacket that is (suprise) made from recycled plastic fabric.


Lamb and Vegetable Stew

1 1/2 lb lamb meat (I used boneless shoulder meat)
1 onion
1 large clove garlic
1 parsnip
1 turnip
1 potatoee
1/2 bunch kale
3 cups water
2 tsp dried rosemary and thyme
salt and pepper

Chop lamb and vegetables into 1-inch cubes. Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook, covered, on low heat about 5-7 hours.

This post is part of the Dark Days Challenge, in which I prepare at least one meal each week comprised of mostly local ingredients. All ingredients for this meal were found at Greenmakets from farms within approximately 250 miles away, except except for the spices and Jesse's quinoa bought in bulk at Fairway.

Moroccan Lamb Meatballs with Chikpeas and Tomatoes Over Pita

This recipe is based on one for lamb meatballs from the Amateur Gourmet. His recipe called for simple meatballs served with yogurt, but I thought I would prefer something more substantial. I decided go on a play of the Italian meatball hero - lamb meatballs instead of pork/sirloin/turkey mix; tomatoes and chickpeas with Moroccan spices instead of traditional tomato sauce; and warmed pita bread instead of toasted hero bread. I also cooked it all in the oven instead of frying to cut down on oil. It bubbled up nicely and tasted sweeter than I expected, maybe because my cilantro was wilting and lacking in flavor to cut through the other spices.
1 can chickpeas
1/2 can crushed tomatoes
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp sweet paprika
salt
pepper

Combine above ingredients in a baking dish. Preheat oven to 375.

1 lb ground lamb
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, minced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp sweet paprika
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves finely chopped
salt
pepper

Combine above ingredients in a bowl. Form into approximately 12 small meatballs and place in chickpe-tomato mixture in baking dish. Bake for approximately 35 minutes. Check to see if meatballs are done and add 1/4 cup fresh chopped mint and 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro. Cook for another few minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a couple minutes. Serve over warm pita (or rice).