itinerant foodies

Last night, despite some minor setbacks (including two recipes with the words “refrigerate” and “overnight” closely linked), I pulled off one of my most successful dinner parties to date. (As determined by my guests, all frequent diners at Café Moorhead). I definitely cannot take credit for the success; I had both a strong cast of characters (high-quality ingredients pictured throughout this post) and an amazing assistant director in Maya, who threw some great last-minute recipes (and gchat advice) my way.

Vegans and vegetarians, take note: despite starting the post with this chunk of locally-raised lamb, this menu is actually friendly to you. Back to the meat. This was my first foray into cooking lamb. The folks at the Bluescreek Farm meat counter were helpful in getting me a piece of boneless lamb sirloin that would feed my group.

The majority of these dishes featured CSA produce; I had a ton of it from the last drop, and was excited to have an opportunity to use it. After weeks of collecting them, these Green Mountain Potatoes (some older than others) finally found their home in a bed with the lamb, in an adapted version of Herbed Roast Leg of Lamb with Roasted Onions and Potatoes, published by Gourmet in April of 1990.

Thyme was a major player in the meal. My front yard is home to a massive patch of the stuff, so I didn’t hold back.

Braising greens, a CSA newcomer to my diet (and my menu-planning), turned out to be a winner in this meal. Maya sent me over a simple recipe that she’d been meaning to try, calling for kale. I made a few substitutes and whipped up the vegan side dish. It’s definitely going to become a regular in my repertoire.

These locally-sourced cremini mushrooms starred in a Mixed Mushroom Couscous recipe I found online. I skipped a few steps (omitted the peppers) and was afraid, at first, that the outcome was bland. But a few eaters – to my surprise – called this their number one. If I were to do this again, I’d find a way to include more of a sauce to the dish.

Above, to the left, you’ll see another Maya recipe. I took great liberty with this one, adding turnips to the mix, roasting my beets instead of boiling them, using the pretty yellow beets from my CSA in place of the red ones called for, ignoring the “refrigerate overnight” command, and substituting sour cream for crème fraîche. Another crowd-pleaser, this dish came together well. I loved the distinct tastes of both root vegetables and the horseradish was a perfect complement to the dish. (Hold the cream and you’ve got yet another vegan side dish.)

I picked up some watermelon radishes from Wayward Seed Farm, and served them – as an appetizer to appease the crowds while I tried to make gravy – alongside a black radish (again, from my CSA), and hummus, pita and stuffed grape leaves purchased at the Mediterranean Imports store down the road. I was tempted (and challenged) to make my own hummus for the meal, but time was a factor.

The lamb turned out fine, though it may have lacked a little of the flavor that the mustard, garlic, fresh rosemary and soy sauce marinade would have given it if it has been allowed to marinate for more than three hours.

The flavor that did come through was that of the onions, which, as it were, challenged me to complete my first successful blanching of anything.

One of my best menu-planning experiences to date, I realize that last night’s meal was successful not because I chose the correct menu, but because it chose me.

Herbed Roasted Leg of Lamb with Roasted Onions and Potatoes
adapted from Gourmet, April 1990

1/3 cup Dijon-style mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 TB. finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried plus fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish
1 TB. finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried plus fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
1 1/2 TB. soy sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 TB. olive oil
an 8-pound leg of lamb, the pelvic bone removed and the lamb tied (I used 2.5 pounds boneless lamb sirloin)
2 pounds (about 40) small white onions, blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes, drained, and peeled (I halved this)
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 1/2 pounds (about 40) small red or white potatoes, cooked in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, drained, and halved (I used six medium size Green Mountain Potatoes, instead)

For the gravy

1 cup dry red wine
2 cups beef broth
2 TB. unsalted butter, softened
3 TB. all-purpose flour

In a small bowl whisk together the mustard, the garlic paste, the chopped rosemary, the chopped thyme, the soy sauce, the wine, and salt and pepper to taste, add 2 tablespoons of the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the mixture until it is combined well. Brush the lamb generously on all sides with some of the mustard mixture, reserving the remaining mustard mixture, and let it marinate in a lightly oiled roasting pan, covered and chilled, for at least 6 hours or overnight. (Bolded, lest you don’t notice.)

Let the lamb come to room temperature and brush it with the reserved mustard mixture. In a bowl toss the onions with 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil, add the onions and the carrots to the pan, and roast them with the lamb in the middle of a preheated 450°F. oven for 15 minutes. In the bowl toss the potatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add them to the pan. Reduce the heat to 350°F. and roast the lamb and vegetables, stirring the vegetables occasionally, for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 140°F. for medium-rare meat. Transfer the lamb to a large platter and let it stand for 20 minutes. Transfer the onions and the potatoes with a slotted spoon to a serving dish, leaving the carrots in the pan, and keep them warm, covered.

Remove the string from the lamb, spoon some of the potatoes and onions around the lamb, and garnish the lamb with the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Serve the lamb, carved, with the gravy.

Make the gravy:
Pour off the fat from the pan, add the wine, and deglaze the pan over moderately high heat, scraping up the brown bits. Boil the mixture until it is reduced by half and strain it through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing hard on the carrots. Add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. In a small bowl knead together the butter and the flour until the mixture is combined well and add the mixture to the gravy a little at a time, whisking. Add any juices that have accumulated on the platter and salt and pepper to taste and simmer the gravy, whisking occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until it is thickened.

Kale with Garlic and Cranberries
adapted from Gourmet, November 2007

2 pounds kale (preferably Russian Red), stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely torn (I used a bag of mixed braising greens)
1 TB. minced garlic
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dried cranberries (2 ounces)

Cook kale in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water (1 1/2 tablespoons salt for 4 quarts water), uncovered, until almost tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately transfer kale to an ice bath to stop cooking. When kale is cool, drain but do not squeeze.

Cook garlic in oil in same pot over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale, dried cranberries, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, tossing frequently with tongs, until kale is heated through and tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

Mixed Mushroom Couscous
adapted from Ramblings From a Gypsy Soul

serves 2

3/4 cup couscous
1 cup boiling water
1 green or red bell pepper (I omitted)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
150 g mixed mushrooms, (I used cremini)
basil and parsley – finely chopped (I used fresh dill – from the CSA – in place of the basil)
olive oil
fleur de sel

Pour couscous into the bowl of boiling water and cover with cling film. In the meantime, roast the bell pepper on your stove top then seed and chop when done. Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and saute until lightly golden. Set aside. Stir in the chopped bell pepper and herbs with the couscous and season. Spoon onto plates and top with the pan-fried halloumi (if available) and mushrooms. Garnish with the extra herbs and serve.

Beets with Horseradish Cream
heavily adapted from the New York Times, April 9, 2008

1 pound small or medium red beets, washed and stemmed (I used three large yellow beets)
3 large turnips (my addition)
1 bottle dry red wine
1 cup sliced shallots (I used a red onion from the CSA)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 bay leaves (I omitted)
3 sprigs of thyme
Cracked pepper
Salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 piece fresh horseradish (I used pre-grated)
1 cup crème fraîche (I used sour cream)

Place beets in a saucepan, cover with water and boil until soft, about 45 minutes. Drain beets, let them rest until cool enough to handle, then peel and dice them. Place in bowl. (I used this method to cook the turnips, but opted to roast the beets wrapped in foil olive oil and salt and pepper in the oven – to save stovetop space) for a little over an hour at 400 degrees.)

2. While beets are cooking, pour wine into another saucepan, add shallots, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and cracked pepper. Boil over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 20 minutes.

3. Pour wine marinade over beets, add salt to taste and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Stir, cover and refrigerate overnight. (I skipped the overnight and added the turnips to the mixture.)

4. The next day, (or half an hour later, whatever you prefer) heat oven to 400 degrees. Place beets and marinade in center of a 12-inch square of foil or parchment. Fold foil or parchment over beets and crimp edges together to seal. Bake 12 minutes, until beets are warm.

5. While beets bake, grate 2 tablespoons of fresh horseradish and mix with crème fraîche and a pinch of salt. Serve beets warm with crème fraîche on the side.

Tags: autumn, beets, couscous, CSA, lamb, local, mushrooms, vegan, vegetarian, watermelon radish

This entry was posted on November 9, 2009 at 3:38 pm and is filed under Columbus, Ohio, In The Neighborhood. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.