I'm glad you're having a great tomato year. If I was guessing, I'd think the weather has been the biggest contributing factor, though the changes to your soil probably also helped. No matter how good my soil is, the weather and how early I get the plants in the ground largely determine what sort of tomato year it will be. You know, you can have the best soil in the world, but once the temperatures are high enough to impede fruit set, which can happen as early as early to mid-May in a hotter/drier than average year like 2011, then most tomato plants stop setting fruit period. So, when the weather allows for lots of fruit set, you've got to give the weather the credit. If you're liking the flavor better, though, then you probably could give the soil credit for that. I generally have not grown Heidi and Viva Italia in the same year, so I don't know that I can tell you how to tell them apart because I think it would be hard to just look at the plants or fruit and know which is which. I always label my plants and make a map that shows the location of each plant by variety name in the garden. I do both on the day they are planted before something happens to the plant labels/tags. Based on my experience with my soil and my weather here in whichever years I have grown either of them, (and yours may not be the same), I think Heidi plants get a foot or maybe 18" taller than Viva Italia and Heidi is less prone to BER in a very dry and very hot year when it is hard to keep the soil evenly moist. The fresh flavor of Viva Italia is more pleasing to my taste buds, but I don't grow either variety for fresh eating---only for canning. I do think that in most years, Viva Italia has been less prone to foliar disease than Heidi, but then I wasn't growing them in the same year, so it is hard to compare since our weather is so variable from one year to the next. Viva Italia pumps out relatively uniform fruit, and some years you see more variation in the shape of Heidi's fruit (but not always) so that might or might not be a way to tell them apart in any given year. Now, here's something interesting---I am moving more and more away from growing paste tomatoes or even from growing Principe' Borghese for drying just as you are achieving success with them. It is more about my evolution as a canner than as a gardener. Over the years, I have gotten to where I prefer the flavor of salsa and pasta sauce made from a wide variety of heirloom slicers and beefsteaks to that of salsa and pasta sauce made with paste tomatoes. Of course, it matters less with salsa since the predominant flavors are those of the peppers and spices and the tomato is just the base flavor. The flavor of a blend of many heirloom tomato varieties is just so superior to the flavor of any paste tomato that I don't even use paste tomatoes in sauce any longer, only in salsa or for sun-dried tomatoes. This year I planted the smallest number of paste tomatoes ever--I think I put maybe 24 to 26 paste plants in the ground versus about 80 non-paste plants. I already had canned at least 160-170 pints of salsa (yes, that's a lot but we give it as gifts to a ton of people at Christmas time) made from blends of slicers, beefsteaks, hearts and cherries before we even got our first ripe paste tomato. If I'd had to wait for the paste types to get busy and produce ripe fruit, I'd just have started making salsa in the last 10-12 days and likely would be sweating it out in the kitchen for all of July. Instead, I am almost done with the tomato canning and am contemplating yanking out the paste types this week after I harvest one more round off of them. It isn't entirely their fault they are so late---they were the last two rows of plants I planted this year and then they got hit by herbicide drift a couple of times, so they have had to struggle to survive. With a pronounced lack of rainfall and with the real summer heat now here, I have no desire to keep watering plants I don't really need. I used to love Principe' Borghese for drying, except for the fact that they are so small and take forever to slice in half before I dehydrate them. It probably isn't a big issue in a small garden with only a couple of PB plants, but my garden is large and I usually plant a lot of PBs, or at least I used to. After the summer of 2012 when I could spend 6 to 8 hours a day picking only PB and nothing else, I told myself I'd let that variety go and only grow larger varieties for drying simply as an efficiency measure. Because I can, freeze and dehydrate so many different crops and not just tomatoes from our large garden, it got to where PB just slowed me down too much. I have to find ways to grow, harvest and preserve food more efficiently or I'll never get to sleep, so the little tomatoes that are time-consuming to process are out. We never liked them as fresh eating tomatoes anyhow since it took dehydrating to bring out their flavor, so we won't miss them much---there's plenty of other varieties to dry that won't be so time-consuming to pick and slice. I started trying varieties that produce larger, meatier paste type fruit after I started using BrokenBar's recipe for wine-marinated sun-dried tomatoes. They're so delicious to eat, so I started looking at her grow lists of big, meaty paste types that she used to make sun-dried tomatoes and have tried several of them. Processing the larger fruit is so much more efficient, so now I am dropping the varieties that produce smaller paste or plum types in favor of those that produce larger ones to use for the marinated SDTs. Next year I plan to plant even fewer paste tomato plants, and I can see the time coming where I won't plant many of them at all. If it is all about flavor, they cannot compete with the heirloom slicers and beefsteaks, and I'd like to find more hearts that do as well here as Brad's Black Heart, so I probably will start trying more of them. I've been trying lots of paste varieties that are new to me from Marianna's Heirloom Seeds that produce significantly larger fruit and have been pretty happy with some of those varieties as they produce fruit that is much larger than that from Heidi or Viva Italia. Whichever paste varieties I keep growing in the future likely will include some of these bigger varieties. I really like Speckled Roman because it does produce huge fruit that's easier/quicker to pick and process. Brad's Black Heart has produced huge fruit this year, including some doubles, and I like the meatiness of Dolly Parton tomatoes. I love Cherry Falls and it has done equally well in the ground or in containers, so I hope you try it again. It has been a long time since I grew Tiny Tim and it was severely lacking in flavor and didn't produce very well, so wouldn't grow it again even if someone paid me to grow it. It is just as waste of space in our garden. Cherokee Purple is great, and I like the closely-related Indian Stripe even better. It is slightly more productive and the fruit seems a little larger than CP most years, so if I had to choose only one of them to grow, I'd only grow IS. Luckily, I don't have to choose only one, so this year I grew Cherokee Purple, Cherokee Purple Heart, JD's Special C-Tex, Indian Stripe and Indian Stripe Burson. I'd hate to have to choose only one of those, but if I had to, I'd choose JD's Special C-Tex because it has the same great flavor as the others, but normally produces larger fruit and produces slightly earlier. It also has the best heat tolerance of them all. My JD's Special C-Tex often sets fruit deeply into July, long after the CP's have been shut down by the onset of our usual summer heat. Pruden's Purple, though, has flavor just as good as any of the ones I just listed, and I only planted two Pruden's Purple plants this year and wish I'd found space for more. So, there you have it----that is why my grow list is so long every year---why grow only Cherokee Purple when there's so many other similar ones that also have great flavor? It is a good thing your garden is small because once you fall in love with the flavor of great varieties, it is easier to grow more than you need and more than you ever could want. I plead guilty to doing that every year, and it is only possible to do that because my garden is too big, which allows me to overplant everything. So, a smaller garden does, by necessity, keep a gardener from planting too many plants. That is not a bad thing. Dawn

Hi John, Whether or not you can root them depends on what you're calling a cutting! If you mean individual leaves, I don't believe there's any way at all to root those. If you mean you're cutting off the stems (with leaves attached), theoretically it should be possible to root those, but I've tried it two or three times and like I told Misty, have been totally unsuccessful so far--which REALLY surprised me! As I suggested to Misty, above, the quickest and easiest way to start new individual plants from an established lamb's ear is to remove some of the individual shoots that are already well rooted or obviously starting to root and stick them in small pots till they're rooted to the bottom of the pots, and then plant them outside--after hardening them off if it's still cold out! To get the rooted shoots, gently dig around the outside of the plant to loosen the soil and then kind of dig around a little bit with your hands, lifting up on some of the outside shoots, and you'll probably see right away some rooted stems that you can cut off--or just pull/break off. If you decide to try rooting some completely unrooted ones, when you cut them off, cut them almost the whole way down to the crown of the plant. That will force new growth to come up from the base of the plant, rather than getting multiple shoots coming out of the end of a stem that's already several inches long, which would just make the plant look all leggy and floppy! If you manage to root some unrooted pieces, please come back here and tell us about it! I'd love to find out if it really is possible! I looked thru my (many) pics in hopes of finding a couple lamb's ear ones that might explain what I mean by the "outside shoots," but I don't seem to have taken many lamb's ear pics over the years! Here are a couple--that may or may not help! The first is my plant the year after I put it in--a very small plant I had gotten at one of the swaps. You can't see the base of the stems, but you can see the tips of all the different individual shoots that make up the whole plant. The second one is a couple years later when it's just starting to grow in spring, after I've cleaned all the old ratty foliage off from the previous year. Because the leaves are still small, you can see all the way down to the bottom where the individual stems are going into the soil. Those individual stems are what you want to gently lift up far enough to see if they're adequately rooted to be able to remove them to successfully start them in a pot. [Click on the pic to open it in WebAlbums, and then you can click on the little magnifier on top, wait for it to load, and then click the + in the top left corner to get it as big as possible and then drag it to see the area you want to look at.] In this pic it's easiest to see where the individual shoots are going into the soil on the top left corner of the plant! Mine is considerably bigger now than in either of those pics, but I have the flowerless kind, so they don't spread as much as the blooming kind. If you have the kind that blooms you should have new shoots coming up all over the place, and you should very easily be able to remove rooted shoots to start more. Fluorescent lites, in my opinion, are the best things you can use for growing inside. They're inexpensive, and they don't burn plants even if the plants grow right up into the bulbs, and since keeping the source of the lite close to the plants is important, using something that doesn't burn them makes it a lot easier. I used to use cool white, but I don't think it makes any difference what type they are! Good luck! Let us know how it works out for you! Skybird This post was edited by skybird on Sun, Mar 2, 14 at 16:05

On the few occasions I have been lucky and found lamb roasts "reduced for quick sale" after Easter I have made a wonderful Mediterranean-ish stew. I cubed the meat, dredged it in flour and browned in a bit of oil, added a good amount of chopped garlic an onion or 2, green pepper. 5 or 6 or more roma tomatoes, seeded and cut up or a large can or plum tomatoes cut up, a couple of canned blackened red peppers, a generous glug of dry red wine, rosemary and oregano to taste and simmered until the meat was very very tender. One time I added calamata olives, but wished I hadn't! Served with rice. My mother made a very different lamb stew...I need to try to recreate her's....because I loved it! Linda c

Cookalong #44 --------LAMB Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 11:05 LindaC has picked lamb for this Cookalong. It's in season and I just know many of you have good lamb recipes. I have a challenge for you, can you post a recipe that will make me like lamb???? I do like gyros.. Have fun and remember, I draw a new name from all the people who post on this thread for the next Cookalong. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #43 ----- CABBAGE! Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 11:28 Great choice Nancy and Linda. I love lamb. Don't often follow a recipe, but I have a few recipes that I use as a "guide". Lamb Shanks Greek Style Lamb Shoulder Greek Style Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Lamb Shoulder/Breast Greek Style ================================ Lamb Shoulder/Breast or shanks 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and cracked 1 onion cut into 8ths Oregano Lemon Salt Pepper Olive oil Chicken broth . Brown the meat on top of the stove or in a hot oven. Add the onion, and the peeled garlic cloves. Cook until golden. Add the Oregano, salt, pepper and the juice of a lemon. Cover and place in a 350°F oven. Cook until tender. Cooking Time will depend on the size of roast. Note:Option: Use Dill instead of Oregano.. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by trixietx (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 11:30 This is one of my favorite recipes! Peppered Lamb Chops 4 lamb loin chops 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons crushed peppercorns 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon thyme 1 clove garlic, minced Combine all ingredients and marinate at least 1/2 hour. Broil or grill to medium rare. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 11:34 Just what I was hoping someone would pick. Here's a favorite of ours. Perfect with a nice Shiraz. It's a huge recipe. I make half of it in an 11 x 11 Corningware dish. You may want to increase the tomato paste a little bit. I make the meat sauce ahead of time and freeze it. Moussaka a la Grecque Recipe adapted from The New York Times Cookbook, Craig Claiborne, Harper/Rowe, 1961 Serves: 8 to 10 servings Ingredients 3 medium eggplants 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 onions, chopped 2 pounds ground lamb 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 1/2 cup red wine 1/2 cup chopped parsley Pinch cinnamon 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 quart whole milk, heated 4 large eggs, beaten Pinch nutmeg 2 cups ricotta 1 cup fresh bread crumbs 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Directions Peel the eggplant and slice it crosswise 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides of each slice lightly with salt, arrange in 1 layer on paper towels and let drain for 30 minutes. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat; add as many slices as will fit in 1 layer and brown on both sides. Repeat the procedure with 4 tablespoons of the remaining oil and the remaining eggplant. Drain the eggplant as they are cooked on paper towels. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the onion to the skillet and cook until the onions are brown. Add the ground meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink. Combine the tomato paste with the wine, parsley, and cinnamon. Add this mixture to the skillet and simmer over low heat, stirring often, until all the liquid has evaporated. Add salt and pepper, to taste. In a sauce pan, over low heat, melt the butter, add the flour and whisk for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat to moderate and add the milk in a stream, whisking. Simmer for 5 minutes, add salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat. Cool slightly and stir in the eggs, nutmeg, and ricotta. Grease and 11 by 16-inch pan and sprinkle the bottom lightly with bread crumbs. Arrange alternating layers of eggplant and meat sauce in the pan, sprinkling each layer with Parmesan and bread crumbs. Pour the egg sauce over the top and bake one hour in a preheat 350 degree oven, or until top is golden. Let cool twenty minutes before slicing. Here is a link that might be useful: Moussaka - from NYT cookbook o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 11:44 Nancy, I'm with you, I've not yet had lamb I was crazy about, but I marinated some in Jessica's lime chipotle marinade and even Amanda and I ate it. Elery loves lamb and his insurance company dietician (yes, Blue Care Network has one of those and everyone must talk to her) says it's a very healthy meat choice, people should use it more. So, I'll be watching for something that sounds good. Heck, if i don't eat it, Cooper and Elery love the leftovers! Annie o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 13:57 This is my favourite Moussaka Recipe. I love the potato layer. Moussaka Source unknown Edited 2 eggplants cut into 1/4 inch round slices 3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick long slices 1/2 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper Vegetable oil. (1 to 2 inches deep) For the beef tomato sauce: 2 pounds lean ground beef/veal/pork or lamb 1 large onion, medium diced 2 tablespoons minced garlic Salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 to 2 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 large can tomatoes, chopped Bechamel 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 2 cups milk Garlic clove cracked (not minced) 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 tablespoon lemon juice 3 egg yolks 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese Salt Freshly ground black pepper To Finish: 3/4 cup breadcrumbs 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated Slice eggplant and salt Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes Wipe dry Season flour with salt and pepper. Dip eggplant into flour and fry in hot oil turning when golden. Dry on Paper towels. Fry potato slices until lightly golden. Remove the potatoes to a paper Towel. Saute the ground beef for 2 minutes, until it Begins to turn brown. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 more Minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess fat from the Pan. Season the mixture with allspice, oregano, and cinnamon and cook For 3 more minutes. Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally Until the mixture is a thick tomato sauce consistency, about 30 Minutes. Check for seasoning. Remove from the heat and cool. Bechamel: In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour to make a roux. Cook the Roux over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes, or until it becomes a very Pale tan color. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the garlic clove, the Nutmeg and the lemon juice. Simmer, stirring constantly, over low heat For 15 minutes. The mixture should be fairly thick. Remove the garlic clove. In a separate bowl, Whisk the eggs together. Take 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture and whisk It into the beaten eggs. This will temper the eggs. Whisk the egg/milk Mixture back into the milk mixture. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir. Over very low heat, cook this mixture for 3 more minutes. Be careful Not to let the mixture simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from The heat and cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the bottom of a Baking dish with 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs. Place a layer of the eggplant Over the breadcrumbs. Place a layer of the potatoes over the eggplant. Place 1/2 of the beef tomato sauce mixture over the potatoes. Add Another layer of eggplant and another layer of potatoes. Top with the Remaining lamb mixture. Place one more layer of eggplant and potatoes. Over the beef mixture. Top with bechamel. Sprinkle with The Parmesan cheese. Place in the oven And bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from The oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------Rack of LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 14:03 Grilled Rack of Lamb is another favourite. No recipe. Just rub the racks with lot of real garlic and rosemary, course ground black pepper, salt and olive oil. And grill. Rare or Medium rare. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 14:47 At a little Greek restaurant in the food court, we were eating souvlaki. Pork, chicken or lamb was the choice of meat. I told the owner I had never had lamb (chose chicken). He cut me a slice off the gyro. I didn't care for it at all. Now I know that can't compare to lamb chops, ribs etc, and these dishes so far sound fantastic. I'm looking forward as well, to see what gets posted. I may get tempted to try it! o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 18:29 Cookie asked for a more reasonable lamb meal than lamb chops....reasonable as to price that is. I can get a small New Zealand leg of lamb, Sam's and costco both often have it. Some times it's bone in....sometimes it's boned.... I buy it boned if I can ( if not I grit my teeth, get out by skinny knife and set to work) The boned leg will have the bone removed and leave a sort of hollow piece of meat, good for stuffing if that's what I had in mind. Cut as much fat off the meat as you can. The fat is what gives the meat the flavor that so many don't like, so besides being healthy and minimizing flare ups you will make it taste better too. Flatten out the boned leg, and insert wooden skewert to sort of stabelize the meat so it doesn't flop around when you try to turn it....that step isn't necessary, but I like to do it. Then...crush about 4 cloves of garlic, more if they are small cloves and rub it all over the inside of the meat....the part that was next to the bone, not the skin side. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with chopped oregano....fresh is best.....rub it around. Let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, and add the juice of half a lemon ans sprinkle with Kosher salt. Start your grill, when it's hot put the lamb on, with the herbed side down, and squeeze the juice of the other half lemon and a little more salt on the top. Grill as you would a steak medium rare or rare....or even medium....but no more done than medium. Slice the meat.....and I like it with oven roasted potatoes....and fresh asparagus this time of the year......and since the lamb is so lean, I splurge and add Hollandaise sauce to the asparagus! Linda C o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 18:44 I do a butterflied leg of lamb the way Linda does using garlic, oregano and lemon. I also do the same swapping out the oregano for rosemary. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 19:25 OK, now a question for the lamb experts. Is there a difference in flavor between grass fed lamb and milk fed lamb? A local (to Elery) farmer in Chelsea sells organic grass fed lambs, $4.99 a pound, for a whole or a half. He says he likes to get the lambs to about 100 pounds but sometimes they are less, so a half would be 50 pounds on the hoof, probably 30 or 35 pounds processed. that's a much better price than the grocery stores in Grand Rapids who want anywhere from $10 to $15 a pound for it, and my local grocery store doesn't even have it, they say they can't sell it. Well, at $15 a pound, probably not. So, if lambs are grassfed, are they "stronger" in flavor? Is the stuff at the local grocery store grass fed or milk fed or does it even matter as far as flavor goes? Annie o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 19:57 Any lamb old enough to weigh 100 pounds is akin to mutton....no wonder you don't like it. The most expensive lamb and in my mind the best is about 4 months old and getting milk as well as some grass....momma eats grass. those lambs weigh about 65 pounds...partly depending on the breed. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 20:17 Well, I was thinking that anything old enough to eat grass and be that big was probably not exactly young lamb. I've never eaten any of it, though, Elery was thinking of buying a half. I guess not... the only lamb I've eaten has been from the grocery store. Some is worse, some is better, none has been delicious but some has been edible. Kind of. I don't know where the heck it came from, of course, or how big it was or what it ate or how it was raised. I don't like that, as you know, but other than buying a lamb locally, which I have been unable to do thus far, there doesn't appear to be an option. Annie o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by katiec (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 23:21 I didn't like lamb and DH wouldn't even try it, but after having it at a Mediterranean restaurant I think I was either fed mutton or really overcooked lamb. We bought a 4H lamb last summer. I have no idea how it was fed, but live weight was 120 lbs. and it is excellent. I've been looking at lots of lamb recipes, since I'd never cooked it, and things like moussakas and stews and curries are definitely arbitrary. I made a boneless leg roast (rubbed with a little olive oil, garlic, rosemary and S&P) and then this curry with the leftovers. It was pretty tasty. I cubed the lamb, used a mix of hot and sweet curry powders, golden raisins instead of currants and my peach-jalapeno chutney instead of mango. And basmati rice. Savory Lamb Curry 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. curry powder 3 Tbsp. flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. white pepper 2 cups chicken stock 1/2 cup apple cider 1/2 cup currants 3 cups sliced cooked lamb 1/2 cup mango chutney 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds Hot cooked rice In large heavy skillet, cook apple, onion, and garlic in butter and olive oil until tender. Sprinkle with curry powder; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add flour, salt, and pepper; cook for 3-4 minutes longer until bubbly. Then add chicken stock and apple cider; cook and stir with wire whisk until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in currants and sliced lamb. Bring back to a simmer; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes until thoroughly heated. Stir in chutney and toasted almonds and serve over hot cooked rice. Serves 6 o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sherrmann (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 6:27 I've tried lamb several times in restaurants, so, although these recipes all look good, I am going to pass on fixing it at home. I am just going to be hard-headed about it and not risk the investment. No sense of adventure when it comes to lamb. My dad always fixed a leg at Easter when I was a kid. He loved it, and usually ended up eating most of it himself, which was probably fine with him. My mom, brothers and I ate the roast beef instead. I do remember that he poked the lamb full of little holes that he stuffed with a mixture of garlic, parsley, parmesan and salt. The stuffed holes were delicious! o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by arley (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 9:12 Here's my favorite. While I do like rosy-pink lamb chops, this is one way to cook lamb well done and so juicy and tender you can cut it with a spoon. (In fact, another name for this recipe is 'gigot a la cuillere', or 'spoon lamb') Gigot de sept heures (Seven hour leg of lamb) 1 leg of lamb, about 6# 4 garlic cloves, sliced, plus 20 whole garlic cloves 1/4 cup olive oil salt & pepper 2 small onions, thinly sliced 4 carrots, peeled 1 bouquet garni 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup flour, 1 cup water Preheat oven to 300˚ F. (If necessary, trim most of the external fat off the lamb. Some legs of lamb will come with a heavy fatty connective tissue, called the 'fell', covering a lot of its surface. Remove as much of it as practical--leaving it on will make the dish gamier because a lot of the gamy flavor is in the fat and connective tissues.) Make many small stab incisions in lamb and place slivers of garlic in each incision. Rub lamb well with olive oil, season with salt & pepper. Place it in Dutch oven and add onions, carrots, bouquet garni, garlic, wine. Put lid on Dutch oven. Combine flour and water, make a 'caulk' and use it to seal the lid to the dutch oven. (Note: That's not necessary if you have a casserole or Dutch oven with a fairly snug-fitting lid.) Place it in the 300˚oven and cook for 7 hours. Yes, 7 hours. NO PEEKING--leave it alone. A half hour before it's done, fix some noodles or rice or couscous to soak up the juices. Remove the Dutch oven and break the seal. You don't eat the cooked flour paste. That's it! About a half hour to an hour of prep, then you leave it the heck alone for 7 hours. It's nearly foolproof. Serve it with whatever else you want, and a medium bodied red wine goes quite well with this (say, a nice Zinfandel) but a dry white (such as the remainder of the bottle you opened to get the cup of wine in the recipe) is fine as well if that's your preference. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 12:32 Although my mother never made lamb, I remember roasts of greyish-looking meat (always served with mint jelly) at friends' houses and our college dining hall. I didn't like it at all. Fortunately, I tried it later in French and Middle Eastern restaurants and once I found some local markets that sold fresh lamb, I began to experiment in cooking various cuts of it in different ways. I most often buy ground or cubed lamb. Linda in Tennesee posted this recipe here about 10 years ago and I've made it many times. I usually serve them with a tzatziki sauce or with a tomato sauce with cinnamon and fresh mint. STUFFED KIBBEH For the shells: 8 (about 1 1/2 cups) ounces bulgur (cracked wheat) 1 pound ground lamb 1 onion, coarsely chopped salt & pepper For the stuffing: 1 onion, finely chopped 2 Tbs. Olive oil 2 Tbs. Pine nuts 1 pound ground lamb salt and pepper Oil for deep frying To make the shells, soak the cracked wheat for about 20 minutes in hot water to cover by at least one inch; then drain and squeeze dry. Mix the meat, onion, salt and pepper for the shells until creamy. (An electric mixer can be used.) Then add the cracked wheat in batches and continue until the mixture is soft enough to work like a dough. Knead well by hand. For the stuffing, fry the onion in oil until soft; then add the pine nuts and fry until golden. Add the meat, salt and pepper and stir until the meat changes color. Wet your hands. Take a small egg-sized portion of the shell mixture and roll it into a ball. Make a hole in the center with your finger and shape into a thin-walled pot with a pointed bottom by turning and pressing it into your palm. Place some stuffing in the hole and pinch the top of the pot together to completely seal it inside. Shape the top into a point. Repeat with the rest of the mixtures, wetting your hands frequently. Heat the oil. Deep-fry 4 or 5 kibbeh at a time until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Serve hot. Makes 15 to 20 depending on what size you make the balls. I follow the recipe exactly but instead of deep frying, I like to cook them outdoors on the grill, turning frequently. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by gina_w (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 13:43 Annie, most Australia or New Zealand sourced lamb is still grass fed, but I hear that's changing. I should call Costco and ask, since that's where I buy it. If it is grass-fed meat, it is a much healthier choice, even the fat is a healthier composition than that of grain-finished meats. And it tastes good. I haven't heard of milk-fed. Ann all those pictures look great - I love lamb. Cookie, I found that you can treat a less expensive lamb roast, like a boneless leg on sale, and cook it like a beef pot roast with potatoes and carrots. It comes out nicely and you can serve it with the pot juices or with horseradish, dijon mustard, mint jelly or whatever you like. Much less expensive than chops, and tastes the same except for the grilled taste! o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 13:46 Dolmades!....the Greek version of golumpki! Ground lamb 1 1/2 pounds 3/4 cup raw rice juice of half a lemon 1 onion chopped fine teaspoon of dry dill weed.( some use dry mint, I prefer dill) Salt and pepper to taste....some add some all spice here.add broth if it needs more moisture Roll in canned grape leaves which have been well rinsed in hot water and the stems cut out....then stacked in a dutch oven with the other half of the lemon, sliced and a little water and baked an hour or more at 325. serve as part of a main dish or an appetizer. Linda C o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jessicavanderhoff (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 15:51 Speaking of delicious Greek food, I think Kofta converted me from a lamb hater. Does anyone have a tried and true recipe? o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cookie8 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 16:46 I am definitely going to try out a few of these recipes. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by shambo (My Page) on Thu, Mar 29, 12 at 3:25 I found some really nice ground lamb at the store this afternoon, so I'm fixing this tomorrow. This was my mother's signature dish. My dad loved it, and after we got married, my husband learned to love it too. Instead of presents, my mom would treat my husband to a full casserole of stuffed grape leaves on special occasions -- Father's Day, Christmas, his birthday, etc. Here's our family recipe: Yaprakia/Dolmathes (Stuffed Grape Leaves) This classic Greek dish can be served as an appetizer or main dish. Rolling the grape leaves may be time consuming, but it is certainly worth the effort. Delicious! Filling: 1-1/2 pound lean ground beef or lamb 1 large onion, finely chopped 2-4 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1-cup long grain white rice 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce 1-tablespoon mint 1-tablespoon dill weed 1-tablespoon oregano 1/2 cup chopped, fresh parsley (optional) 1-teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 16 ounce jar grape leaves (approximately 50 leaves) Juice of one lemon Beef broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth Remove rolls of grape leaves from jar and unroll. Rinse leaves under cold water and drain well. Set aside badly torn leaves for use later. Cut stems off grape leaves. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent; cool. Combine rice, onion and garlic mixture, tomato sauce, mint, dill weed, oregano, parsley (if using), salt and pepper in large bowl; mix well. Add ground beef or lamb to filling ingredients and mix thoroughly using hands. Lay a leaf, vein side up, in your hand with stem pointing toward you. Place tablespoon of filling (depending on size of leaf) on the part of leaf where stem begins (near center). The filling should form a narrow cylinder; do not over fill or the rolls will burst during cooking. Tuck in side edges to secure filling. Roll from you toward the tip of the leaf, forming a small cylinder approximately 2-1/2 inches long and 3/4 inches wide. Do not wrap too loosely or the roll will come undone during cooking. Stove Top Method: Line bottom of 5 quart Dutch oven with a single layer of the reserved torn grape leaves. Place rolls seam side down in bottom of pot, tightly together in concentric circles, layer upon layer. You want a tight fit so that rolls don't unravel when cooking. Continue until all rolls are in pot. Any leftover filling may be rolled in cabbage leaves or lettuce leaves or made into tiny meatballs and placed on top of rolled grape leaves in pot.(Optional: Cover top with another single layer of the reserved torn grape leaves.) Cover rolls completely with broth and lemon juice. Place a heavy plate that fits inside the pot over rolls as a weight to keep leaves from unrolling. For good measure, place a clean rock or stone on top of the plate to secure the rolls. Cover pot and bring to slow simmer. Simmer gently about 75-90 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat when done. Let stand covered for 20-30 minutes before serving. Baked Method: Line bottom of 13 x 9 baking dish with a single layer of the reserved torn grape leaves. Place rolls seam side down in rows in baking dish, layer upon layer. You want a tight fit so that rolls don't unravel when cooking. Continue until all rolls are in baking dish. Cover top with another single layer of the reserved torn grape leaves. (Optional: Cover top with another single layer of the reserved torn grape leaves.) Cover rolls completely with broth and lemon juice. Cover pan with aluminum foil that has been greased on inside. Bake at 350 for 75-90 minutes until both meat and rice are done. Let stand covered for 20-30 minutes before serving. Yaprakia/Dolmathes may be served hot, warm, or cold. If hot or warm, serve with avgolemono sauce prepared from broth or serve with plain, unflavored yogurt. If cold, serve with plain, unflavored yogurt. Here is a link that might be useful: Step-by-step lesson featuring my mom as guest chef o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Thu, Mar 29, 12 at 10:10 Here are a couple more recipes I make with ground lamb. Back in the days when I used to participate in recipe contests, this was a winner of the Best Potluck Recipes in the USA contest in Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso's column in Parade Magazine. MAKE-AHEAD LAMB AND RICE 1 cup uncooked brown rice 1 chicken bouillon cube 1 lb. lean ground lamb 3 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into 1/ 4" dice to make about 1 1/2 cups (reserve tomato juices) 1/4 cup sliced pitted black olives 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley 1 Tbs. fresh chopped mint 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. black pepper 2 Tbs. olive oil 2 medium-sized onions, coarsely chopped 1 Tbs. pine nuts 1 Tbs. minced garlic 1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/4 cup tomato juice (optional) 1/2 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese Cook rice according to package directions, adding bouillon cube to water; set aside. In a nonstick skillet, saute lamb over medium heat until browned through, breaking up while cooking; set aside. Place tomatoes (and their juices), olives, parsley, mint, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, pine nuts and zucchini. Saute, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Add rice, lamb and zucchini mixture to the bowl; fold all ingredients together well. (If mixture seems dry, add chicken broth or tomato juice to moisten.) At this point mixture can be covered and refrigerated up to three days. To serve hot, place in large shallow casserole dish, sprinkle with feta cheese and bake, loosely covered at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, just long enough to heat through. Or heat on high power of microwave for about 4 minutes and sprinkle with cheese before serving. Can also be served at room temperature on a bed of frisee or some other crunchy greens. CURRIED LAMBBURGERS Combine: 1/4 cup plain yogurt 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. curry powder 2 Tbs. minced onion 1 garlic clove, finely minced 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 slices fresh bread, crumbled 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley Add 1 pound lean ground lamb and mix thoroughly. Shape into 6 thin oval shaped patties and grill until done but not dry. Serve in pita bread pockets topped with chopped tomatoes and feta cheese. Note: Fresh chopped cilantro may be substituted for the parsley for a different flavor. Also good topped with cucumber-yogurt sauce. MOROCCAN LAMB SAUSAGE (serves 4) 1 lb. lean lamb 6 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley 6 Tbs. chopped onion 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. ground coriander seed 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. salt Grind lamb and add parsley and onion; mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly; grind again. Divide into 4 portions and, with moist hands, shape into sausages 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick and about 4 1/2 inches long. Can be wrapped and frozen at this point. If you don't freeze, store covered in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to allow spices to permeate the meat. Broil or grill 4 inches from source of heat until brown, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes for lamb pink inside, about 15 minutes for well done. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by bizzo (My Page) on Thu, Mar 29, 12 at 10:30 Ah, Ruthanna! you beat me to it! I love ground lamb and rice (I don't often follow a recipe though I do something very similar to the recipe you posted) and I adore lambburgers. I think I need to buy some ground lamb o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Thu, Mar 29, 12 at 17:54 Here's a recipe to ease you into the flavor of lamb, LOL. The smoked paprika masks it almost too much. From Nancy Silverton in Food and Wine. Lamb Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper and Chickpea Sauce 1/2 cup roasted red peppers from a jar (4 ounces), preferably piquillo (I used roasted red bell peppers) 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth 1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt, preferably Greek, plus more for serving 2 pounds ground lamb 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish 1 tablespoon thyme leaves 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 3/4 cups* chickpeas from a jar or can, drained (*you need a lot more chick-peas than this to accompany two pounds of meat) In a mini food processor, puree the peppers. Transfer the puree to a bowl and whisk in the broth and 1/2 cup yogurt. In a large bowl, combine the lamb, eggs, garlic, 1/4 cup parsley and the thyme and smoked paprika. Add the 4 teaspoons kosher salt. Using your hands, gently mix, then roll into sixteen 2-inch meatballs. In a very large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the meatballs and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Slide the meatballs to one side of the pan. Add the red-pepper sauce and the chickpeas and bring just to a boil. Simmer the meatballs over moderately low heat, stirring and turning them occasionally in the sauce, until the sauce reduces slightly, 10 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer the meatballs and chickpeas to a platter, spoon the pepper sauce on top, garnish with parsley and serve with yogurt. Here is a link that might be useful: Lamb meatballs o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by janicep (My Page) on Thu, Mar 29, 12 at 22:06 Shambo! You are one of the very few people I have met/seen refer to stuffed grape leaves as "yaprakia"! Most recipes for stuffed grape leaves are called "dolmades". My grandparents, who came from Samos, Greece, called stuffed grape leaves "yaprakia" and stuffed cabbage was called "dolmades". The island of Samos was part of Turkey for a very long time, so the name might have come from the Turkish language. In any event, it was cool to see you refer to stuffed grape leaves as the name I grew up with. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Thu, Mar 29, 12 at 22:43 The go-to method for me with lamb involves Penzey's Lamb Seasoning. OMG that stuff is perfect with lamb. I'll take a roast, chops, anything and rub it with a mix of lamb seasoning, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lots of garlic, S&P. Usually I grill it. Lamb seasoning. Salt free. For Passover I try to have lamb since that was the animal involved in 'passing over'. I've made this Epicurioius recipe with lamb shanks for my crowds, adjusting time for the longer cooking shanks. I used Michigan cherries from Nancy (wizardnm) the first time I made it, grin. I made changes....noted below Lamb Chops with Dried Cherries and Port Bon Appetit : April 2008 Bon Appetit Test Kitchen Yield: Makes 2 servings ingredients 2 teaspoons olive oil 4 4-to 5-ounce loin lamb chops 1/3 cup chopped shallots 3/4 cup ruby Port 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth 1/2 cup dried tart cherries 3 tablespoons cherry jam (I use pomegranate molasses) 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (I usually omit) Chopped fresh mint or parsley preparation Heat oil in heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Add lamb to skillet; cook to desired doneness, turning often, about 10 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to plate. Pour off drippings from skillet. Add shallots to same skillet; saute 1 minute. Add Port, broth, cherries, jam, vinegar, and cardamom; boil until cherries plump and liquid is syrupy, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over lamb. Sprinkle with mint. Here is a link that might be useful: Epicurious Lamb chops o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by dcarch (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 0:11 Ann, great looking lamb dishes. Talking about lamb and squash. They happen to pair very well for me. Sous vided leg of lamb, mint/Herbes de Provence sauce. dcarch Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by shambo (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 0:29 Janicep, that's exactly the way my family called things. Yaprakia referred to stuffed grape leaves and dolmathes were stuffed cabbage leaves. My maternal grandparents came from a Greek village that was part of Turkey, so maybe that's the connection. By the way, I made the grape leaves today and we had them for dinner. Pretty good, even if I say so myself. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by gina_w (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 16:53 Found an old picture of a Lamb Shank dinner: Also, in this month's Martha Stewart Living there is a good-looking recipe of a lemony lamb roast with potatoes. I'll have to try that next time I buy a roast since I love lemon. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 17:42 On the few occasions I have been lucky and found lamb roasts "reduced for quick sale" after Easter I have made a wonderful Mediterranean-ish stew. I cubed the meat, dredged it in flour and browned in a bit of oil, added a good amount of chopped garlic an onion or 2, green pepper. 5 or 6 or more roma tomatoes, seeded and cut up or a large can or plum tomatoes cut up, a couple of canned blackened red peppers, a generous glug of dry red wine, rosemary and oregano to taste and simmered until the meat was very very tender. One time I added calamata olives, but wished I hadn't! Served with rice. My mother made a very different lamb stew...I need to try to recreate her's....because I loved it! Linda c o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by janicep (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 21:43 Shambo, your recipe is very similar to mine, so I'm sure that they're good! LOL!! I really enjoyed your video - great job!! o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Mon, Apr 2, 12 at 7:38 Eggplant was on sale at the farmers' market this weekend so I made two dishes with it and lean ground lamb. Neither had a real recipe. Lamb and eggplant soup with ditalini pasta. It had more broth than shown in the photo. Photobucket Eggplant stuffed with lamb, orzo, tomatoes, oil-cured olives, feta cheese, etc. Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Mon, Apr 2, 12 at 9:52 Oh yum! Eggplant and lamb go together so well!!! o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cookie8 (My Page) on Mon, Apr 2, 12 at 11:42 I did a butterflied leg of lamb on Friday and had it all day Saturday and Sunday it was so good. To think I didn't use to like lamb. Well, there are some cuts off putting to me. Or maybe it's the preparation. I did a dry rub and let it sit on top of lemon slices all afternoon. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jessicavanderhoff (My Page) on Mon, Apr 2, 12 at 13:13 I made a lamb stew once that I really liked. I think it was sauteed garlic/onion, lamb cubes well browned in a lot of chicken fat, chicken stock, thyme, sweet potatoes, and a splash of sherry. I remember it being really good, but the preparation was so simple that I think I must have just gotten some really good lamb. o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Apr 9, 12 at 11:43 Time for a new Cookalong! I'll set it up tonight, after I get a subject from: **************** Arley *********************** Thanks to all who took the time to respond to this Cookalong. There are some really good recipes posted. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Apr 9, 12 at 12:37 Arley has picked Chili for the next Cookalong. Please post your favorite recipe on that thread. Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #45---------CHILI!! o RE: Cookalong #44 --------LAMB clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jolj (My Page) on Fri, May 4, 12 at 23:54 We roast lamb with rosemary,salt & pepper.