Italian Lamb and White Bean Stew with Greens

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This recipe is a great way to introduce lamb to your kids and friends who perhaps have not tried it before. Lamb and white beans are a classic Italian combination. This stew can serve from 4 to 8 people by extending it with extra beans. I have added kale for texture and health but you could use any greens available (frozen spinach works if that is all you have available). If you leave out the potatoes, it makes a nice sauce over gnocchi or pasta. 

1 pound lamb stew meat
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 cup chicken or lamb stock
    or red or white wine
1 - 14 oz. can of tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cans white beans
2 stalks celery chopped into 1/4” pieces
4 large carrots peeled and sliced
2 potatoes
1/2 bunch kale
    or 10 oz. box of frozen spinach

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Peel and mince garlic. Chop onions into small dice. Heat olive oil in a lidded dutch oven. Brown onions and garlic taking care not to burn the garlic. Add lamb stew meat and brown lamb on all sides. Drain off excess fat.  Add the can of tomatoes, the stock or wine, bay leaves, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Place in a 250 degree oven and cook covered for 2 to 3 hours or over a very low heat on top of your stove. (Alternately, use a slow cooker.) The lamb should be falling apart. Skim fat off top of liquid. (If you do this the day ahead, chill the stock and the fat can be removed easily.)

Peel and chop carrots diagonally so they remain largish. Peel and chop the potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Remove the stems from the kale. Chop the kale into slivers about 1/2” wide. Add all veggies (except for canned white beans) to lidded pot, adding extra water if it is too dry and there is danger of it burning. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are to your liking. Add the drained white beans and cook until they are warmed through.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a little grated parmesan. If you have leftovers, add a little extra stock and use as a pasta sauce.

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How To Properly Cook a Bone-In Leg of Lamb

Thaw in the refrigerator. Depending on the size of the leg, allow 1 day for half leg to thaw and 2 days for whole leg to thaw. Let meat come to room temperature before roasting.
Invest in an instant read meat thermometer in order to cook the leg properly.
It is not necessary to do any special treatment to the leg but if you want, this mustard coating is nice.

Mustard/Garlic/Herb Coating (Optional)
1 cup dijon mustard
1 head roasted garlic mashed puree (To roast a garlic head, place entire head in tin foil with a little olive oil. Bake at 375 until soft and squishy at least 30 minutes. Remove from skins and mash).
Optional: dried rosemary and thyme - 1 teaspoon  each
Mix mustard, garlic puree and herbs.
Optional: Bread crumbs for crunch

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. If not doing mustard coating, rub olive oil over leg. Slather mustard coating over the leg. Press bread crumbs into mustard. Place in a roasting pan. Scatter some cut-up potatoes and carrots around the roast. Roast at high heat for 15 minutes. Turn down to 350 degrees. Basting is optional - I never do.

Pull the meat out when it reaches your desired temperature. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise after it is removed from the oven. Take this into consideration. (I usually pull my roasts out when they are 10 degrees below the desired temperature.) Let leg rest for 15 minutes before carving. De-fat the pan juices and serve them alongside the lamb. They can be mixed with a little wine, salt and pepper if there isn’t much jus.

Roast Leg of Lamb Temperatures
Very rare 120 degrees
Rare 125 degrees
Medium Rare 130 degrees
Medium 140 degrees

Approximate cooking times for rare meat:
Sirloin half - 1 hour
Shank end half - 1 hour
Full leg (5 to 7 lbs) 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours

The temperature of the leg will continue to rise for 10 minutes. I try to err on the under-done side as the roast can always be popped back in the oven to cook a little more.

To be safe and avoid overcooking, test for doneness after 45 minutes for half leg and one hour for full leg.

How to carve: Do not cut into the center bone. Slice the meat holding your knife parallel to the bone. Use a napkin to hold onto the meat. Cut thin slices until you reach the bone. Then turn the roast over and cut the other side. Continue until all the meat is removed. Save bone for stock. Make Scotch Broth Soup with it.

Braised Lamb Shanks and Shoulders

This is one of those slow cooking recipes that makes your kitchen smell so warm and inviting on a cold winter day or crisp fall afternoon. Plan on at least 1/2 lb of meat person (for bone-in shoulders) or one lamb one shank per person. When buying bone-in shoulders, a lot of the white you will see in the shoulder roast is connective tissue, not fat. It will cook down slowly and add texture and flavor to the sauce. You can also make this in a slow cooker. Do the lamb browning and onion cooking in a separate pan, then transfer all ingredients to the slow cooker.

NOTE: The sauce, if there is any leftover, makes an awesome pasta sauce. Add some tomatoes and red wine if you need more volume.

Lamb shoulder roast, bone-in – approximately 3 to 4 lbs. OR 4 to 6 lamb shanks
¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
6 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 28 oz can of Italian tomatoes (or 2 lbs fresh if available)
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon oregano or Italian dried herbs
1½ cups red wine or chicken or lamb stock
2 bay leaves
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil in dutch oven. Brown lamb on all sides. Remove lamb and add onions and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent. Drain off excessive fat. Add tomatoes, carrots, red wine, bay leaves and oregano. Break up tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Return lamb to dutch oven and bring to a boil on top of stove. Lamb should be at least half submerged. If not, add some water.

Immediately, place covered Dutch oven in oven. Bake in oven for 3 to 4 hours. Half way through, flip the lamb over so the opposite side is submerged. Lamb is done when it is falling off the bone and can be cut with a fork.

Serve over polenta, rice or noodles with green beans or kale and a green salad.

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Scotch Broth Soup

Scotch Broth Soup

A fall and winter favorite here at our farm, Scotch Broth Soup is total comfort food. The smooth taste of the lamb stock mixed with winter root veggies can’t be beat. I use our shoulder chops for the meat and add a few extra bones if I have them to make a richer stock. Resist the temptation to increase the barley - you don’t need a lot and it will swell by the second day. In fact, when re-heating, you may find it necessary to add a little water. This soup also freezes well.

1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil

1 pound lamb stew meat or shoulder chops (the bones add extra flavor)

2 leeks – white part only sliced thin

1 onion

2 sticks celery

2 large potatoes or 4 small

2 small turnips or parsnips (or both!)

3 – 4 large carrots

1/ 2 cup pearl barley

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Brown the stew meat in a large soup pot. Dice the onion and add it to the meat in pan. Cut the leek into thin slices. Add to the meat and onions. Chop the celery and add to the browning meat mixture.

While meat mixture is browning, peel the turnips, carrots, and potatoes. Chop turnips, carrots and potatoes into pieces all the same size so they will cook at an equal rate.

Once the meat is thoroughly browned, cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower immediately to a simmer.  After five minutes, add the barley, root veggies, herbs and salt and pepper. Cover and cook until barley is tender - about 45 minutes. Remove bones from shoulder chops if necessary. Serve immediately. This soup, as with most, will taste better the second day. It will be necessary to add some water when re-heating as the barley will swell. This soup freezes nicely too.

 

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Lamb Tagine

 

One of our favorite ways to eat lamb is in a tagine style stew seasoned with dried fruits, ginger and cinnamon. This season, we are lucky to have fresh ginger available from Old Friends Farm. I buy a chunk (or root as I should refer to it as) every week at the Saturday market. If I don't use it all quickly, I stuff it in the freezer and it grates beautifully all winter long. 

Here's a new recipe I developed for our Leyden Glen Lamb farmstand - perfect for autumn days. If you don't like lamb, you can substitute beef, chicken, or your protein of choice. Surprisingly, Julia LOVED this even though she is in a "no-spice" period of her eating career. You can add chiles if you like things spicy. 

Moroccan Lamb Tagine from Leyden Glen Farm

with Old Friends Farm Fresh Ginger,
Prunes, Apricots, Apples, and Carrots

A tagine is actually a conical pot used in Moroccan cooking. I don't own one (this site is mind-boggling - who knew?) but it isn't necessary to have one to cook a good tagine. I use my copper dutch oven so feel free to use any heavy pot with a lid that will fit in your oven. For the lamb, I use our bone-in shoulder roasts or chops but if you can't find bone-in (they add more flavor, you know), use a boneless shoulder roast or any lamb stew cut. You can experiment with using fresh fruits (apples, pears, plums) or other dried fruits such as raisins and figs. Making a tagine is like making art - layers of experimentation and each one is different.

2 lbs. lamb shoulder roast or lamb shoulder chops - bone-in
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
5 cloves garlic
2 cups water
1 cup dried prunes
1/2 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/4” pieces
4 Tablespoons Old Friends Farm grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon (and more to taste)
3 large carrots - peeled and cut into 1/2” diagonal chunks
2 Tablespoons butter
2 medium size firm apples (Honeycrisp,  Granny Smith, Delicious)
1 Tablespoon honey
handful of slivered almonds
For serving: cooked basmatic rice or couscous

In a dutch oven, brown the lamb on all sides over medium high heat in the olive oil. Remove to a platter. Peel and chop the onions and garlic. Brown the onions and garlic taking care that they do not burn. When done, return the lamb to the pot. Add 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of the freshly grated fresh ginger and the cinnamon and bring to a boil on top of stove. Cover and place in a 250 degree oven and cook for 4 hours until the meat falls easily off the bone. (Alternately use a crock pot set on low and let cook all day.  You can skip the browning step for crock pot cooking.)

Boil some water and soak the dried prunes and apricots in water while the meat is cooking (for at least 1/2 hour). Reserve the soaking liquid.

When lamb is falling off the bones, remove from oven, let cool a bit so you don’t burn your fingers and remove the bones. Add the carrots,  prunes, chopped apricots, and optional honey and cook uncovered on top of stove until the carrots are tender. Add the fruit soaking liquid if the tagine has dried out too much. Simmer a bit more letting the sauce thicken as the liquid evaporates. The tagine sauce should not be too liquidy - you want it to have body and thickness to it. Add 2 more tablespoons of freshly grated ginger. Taste the tagine and add more cinnamon if you like. Continue to simmer over very low heat or in the oven while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut into thin slices. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in frying pan and saute the apples, taking care that they do not become mushy - you want them to remain crisp. In a separate frying pan, toast some slivered almonds, taking care not to burn them.

Cook basmati rice or couscous according to your favorite method. Place a scoop of rice or couscous on each plate. Spoon a few of the sauteed apples on top and then ladle some of the lamb tagine on top. Sprinkle with with some toasted almonds to add a crunchy texture. Top with fresh parsley or mint.

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Lamb Chops and a Summer Mint Pesto Recipe

Selling direct to the customer at the Farmers Markets has been really interesting. We get asked all kinds of questions (almost as many as when I teach knitting). Our customers want to know everything about the meat they are buying (how the animals are raised, what they eat, how they are killed). We are happy to share the information because we know that we are raising our animals with care and that even though many of them are going to become meat, that they have lived happy and healthy lives in the outdoors eating grass and moving around freely. 

I think it is great that consumers are interested in the source of their meat and what happens to it. So many people just eat a burger and don't think about the animal who died to become their meat, nor the supply chain that brought the meat to the grocery refrigerator section all neatly wrapped in plastic. To say that whole process is complicated, regulated (as it should be), and mammoth would be an understatement. There are a lot of people living in the U.S. (not to mention the entire world) who just want to eat a burger and not think about it. It is not until recently with the publication of many books (listed below) that regular eaters have started to think about the source of their meat and food.

Books on food and meat I recommend:

Omnivore's Dilemna by Michael Pollan

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Meat: A Kitchen Education by James Peterson

River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittenstall

Good Meat by Deborah Krasner

The largest obstacle to selling our farm raised lamb is that many, many customers have never cooked nor eaten lamb. They honestly don't know what to do with it. I have realized (after a few years) that developing recipes is the key to easier sales. If a customer walks off with a recipe in their hands, they have the confidence to feel like they haven't wasted their money and that they will be able to properly cook our lamb. Some cuts are easier to sell than others. Like lamb chops. Most people are used to looking at beef steaks on a piece of styrofoam at the store so showing them the lamb chops translates easily in their brain. They can visualize a lamb chop on a plate.

Our lamb chops are tiny - much tinier than a beef steak - and tinier than western raised lamb chops which come from larger meat breeds of sheep. We slaughter our animals at around 100 lbs. From that 100 pound animal, we receive back around 30 pounds of meat. Isn't that astounding? A live lamb doesn't equate into a lot of product, does it? Each lamb gives us 14 rib chops and 14 loin chops. The chops are the most tender section of the lamb. They run along upper back of the animal. It makes sense that this cut of meat would be the most tender - it doesn't do as much work as the shoulders (the part of the animal that pulls the animal up the hills - hence is has the most connective tissue and is tougher), nor the legs. French meat poster available here.

There is a difference in both taste and appearance to the two different chops we sell. Rib chops (also known as "rack of lamb" when served in an entire piece, usually frenched with little poufy things on the ends of the bones) are from the front backbone section of the animal. They have more fat on them which adds to the flavor of the meat. They are longer in length and usually weigh more. The loin chops are from the section of the back of the animal which is closer to the leg - where the animal becomes smaller if you are thinking about your dog or cat. Many of our customers prefer loin chops because they are leaner.

At our house, we like both cuts of chops - loin and rib. Truth is we don't eat too many of them because we need to sell them because they generate the most revenue per pound of meat (just like the cobbler and his kid's shoes). 

How I Cook a Lamb Chop

My preferred method of cooking (when we decide to really treat ourselves) is to grill them simply on the barbeque over very hot heat. It only takes about 2 to 3 minutes per side to obtain a rare to medium rare chop. You have to be very careful or the chops can be overcooked in seconds. We process our chops to be 1 1/4" thick. Obviously, if you buy 2 to 3" chops you will need to cook them longer. You need to use a lot of commonsense when cooking meat - something I find lacking in today's cooks. But I am here to help them get over their fears of cooking lamb, aren't I?

Most of the time, I just spice the chops with salt and pepper. But since I'm now developing recipes to add extra value to our meat, I recently worked up a recipe for Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto that I will share with you here today.

Mint has always been a classic combo with lamb - mostly as mint jelly.  We here at Leyden Glen Farm have a diabetic daughter so sweet things don't usually hit the dinner table. Mint runs rampant in our garden though and I love it as a "spice" to be added to lamb. This recipe is very easy and even if you aren't going to use it on lamb, I have found many ways to use "Mint Pesto" on veggies and in summer salads and in yogurt as a summer spirited dip.

Mint Pesto for Lamb Chops (or whatever!)

1/2 cup mint leaves, freshly plucked from a garden

1/2 cup flat parsley leaves

juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pluck the mint leaves from the stalks and wash. Spin in a salad spinner to remove all water. Do the same with the parsley. Place the herbs in a food processor (they will fit in a mini one). Chop until fine. Add the juice of the lemon and the salt and whir. Slowly add the olive oil and mix through until the mixture looks saucy. Stick your finger in and taste. Do you want a little more of an oily texture? Add a couple more tablespoons oil and whir. A garlic clove can be added but I prefer mine simpler. I save the garlic for the basil because I think it overwhelms the mint.

That's it. Place it in a lidded jar. It will keep for about a week or you can freeze it for winter. Pull it out and add it to potatoes, pasta to make a quick weeknight salad, add it to yogurt to make a quick dip. Yummy, yummy and really quick! And of course, you can put a dollop on some lamb chops like shown in the photo my photo! To cook the lamb chops, follow the instructions above.

Lamb Koftas with Yogurt Sauce

A kofta is a small spiced meatball made from ground meat. You can use any ground meat (turkey, beef, chicken or even fish) but traditionally in the Middle East koftas are made from lamb. I first found this recipe in our local Greenfield Recorder via the Associated Press. It is quick and easy to make and you can prepare everything ahead of time, pulling together a meal in minutes. (That is assuming you don't have to make your own pita bread!) Lamb koftas are different take on traditional burgers making them fun for a barbeque where you want to introduce your friends to the flavor of lamb. 

The yogurt sauce is so good you’ll just want to drink it or use it as a salad dressing. This recipe is the closest I have found to replicating the taste of a lamb gyro although it is much friendlier for the home cook. It is not necessary to grill the koftas - they taste just as good baked or broiled. This recipe serves 4. The koftas could also be shaped into mini-meatballs, baked, and served as a appetizer with the yogurt dipping sauce on the side. Feel free to vary the spices depending on your likes. 

For Koftas
1 pound ground lamb
1 small onion, chopped
2 pieces bread - preferably crusty white bread torn into pieces (or 1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs)
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 cup mint
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon each cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 Tablespoon red curry paste (optional but a nice addition, find it in the Chinese food aisle)
1 large egg

For sandwich:
4 large pita breads
2 tomatoes chopped into small dice
lettuce leaves, torn

For Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup (8 oz) yogurt - preferably Greek
1 small cucumber - peeled, seeded and finely diced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dried dill or fresh if available
1 minced garlic clove (for garlic lovers)

Place bread in food processor and pulse until it forms a fine crumb. (Alternately, use 1/2 cup bread crumbs.) Add onion, parsley, mint, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper and pulse until mixed and finely chopped. Beat the egg in a separate large bowl.  Add the ground lamb and the bread, onion and herb mixture to the egg and mix well with your hands.

Shape into oblong balls (resembling small sausages using about 2 Tablespoons/kofta) and place in refrigerator for 1/2 hour if you have time. (The chilling will help to keep the koftas together when grilling.)

 

Bake, broil or grill depending on your preferences.

Yogurt Sauce: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and let sit to combine the flavors. Serve it chilled.

To assemble: Insert three koftas into a piece of pita bread. Top with chopped tomatoes and lettuce. Drizzle with the Yogurt Sauce.

Greek Spiced Lamburgers with Yogurt Sauce

Greek Flavored Burgers

1 pound ground lamb
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup mint
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
fresh ground pepper

Place the parsley, mint, and garlic in a food processor and chop until fine. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Form into 4 patties. 

 

Grill. 

Serve with red onions, feta cheese, and black olive tapenade topped with the yogurt sauce below on pita bread or a bun as shown.

Yogurt Sauce:

1 cup (8 oz) yogurt - preferably Greek
1 small cucumber - peeled, seeded and finely diced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dried dill or fresh if available
1 minced garlic clove (for garlic lovers)

Note: Raw garlic adds a real bite (good or bad? depending on your taste)

Peel cuke and cut lengthwise in half. Scoop out seeds. Salt and let sit for 1/2 hour. Rinse salt off. Chop into small pieces about 1/4" in pieces. Combine all ingredients in bowl and let sit. Serve with burger as a sauce.

Oh boy is this yogurt sauce delicious! Understatement. I've doused it on chicken and lamb and used it as salad dressing on greens. Astoundingly good. I leave out the garlic even though I am one of the biggest garlic fans on this planet. I like the freshness of the cukes, lemons, and dill just plain.

Lamb and Rhubarb Stew

 

My advice is to let the stew sit for a couple of days because it sure does improve with age. Make sure you use golden raisins - otherwise the stew will look like there are lamb pellets in it! (Most likely only a sheep farmer would think of this!) Enjoy!

Persian Lamb and Rhubarb Stew

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 pounds lamb shoulder – bone-in
    (lamb stew meat can be used although the bones will add more flavor)
1 Tbsp tomato paste or a small can (14 oz.) Italian tomatoes

1 pound rhubarb – cut into 1 inch pieces with stringy bits removed if the skins are very thick
1/2 cup raisins (preferably golden)
2 Tbsp sugar
¼ cup minced mint or parsley or a mix of the two – whatever is easier – for garnish

In a dutch oven, brown the onion and garlic until onions are translucent in 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add the coriander, cumin, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and cook until spices begin to smell lovely. If it begins to stick, add a little bit of water to create a bit of a sauce. Set aside onion mixture.

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to pan. Brown the lamb on all sides. Remove lamb from pan. Clean excess fat out of pan. Return the onions, spice mixture and lamb to the dutch oven. Add the tomato paste (or tomatoes), salt and pepper and add water (or lamb stock) to the pot so that it is half the way up the lamb shoulder.

Bring to a boil on top of stove. Cover with a tight fitting lid and place in a 250 degree oven and cook for 3 hours, turning the shoulder roast half way through. Alternately, cook in a slow cooker for 5 hours on low.

At the end of the three hours, remove the meat from the pot and pull the bones out of it. If the meat is not falling off the bones, return to the oven for another hour. (Save the bones for lamb stock. Store them in the freezer if you don’t have time to make the stock just yet.) With your hands, shred the meat which should be falling apart into chunks. Add the sliced rhubarb, the chunks of cooked meat, the golden raisins and the sugar back to the pot. Bring to a boil on the top of the stove and immediately return to the oven and cook another hour.

Remove from oven and taste for spices. Add more if you want a more intense flavor. If the flavor is too sour, add a touch more sugar. If the stew is too saucy, simmer with the lid off to reduce the stock. 

This stew really does improve if it sits in the fridge for a couple of days. Serve over basmati rice, couscous, or rice pilaf garnished with the parsley and mint. A green salad would be nice with it.

Leyden Glen Farm's Honest to Goodness Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Shepherd's Pie is one of those recipes that you can tweak and use all kinds of odds and ends from your pantry, fridge or freezer. In fact that's the fun of it. It's also great to make an extra one to put in the freezer for those nights you just can't bear to chop an onion or mince some garlic. 

 

Leyden Glen Farm's Shepherd's Pie

This is our “farm version.” It’s yummy and homey and will feed a crowd.

2 pounds potatoes
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter

1 pound ground lamb
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion - diced
2 carrots – diced into ½” pieces
5 cloves garlic - minced
1 cup chicken broth, lamb stock or white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and Pepper
1 cup each corn and peas (I use frozen)
¼ cup parmesan cheese

Peel and chop the potatoes. Boil in salted water until tender and mashable. Drain. Add the milk and butter. Mash the potatoes, season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Brown the lamb, drain fat and set aside. Saute the onions and garlic in the oil until onions are translucent taking care not to burn the garlic! Add the diced carrots and sauté for 3 more minutes. Mix together the broth, tomato paste, herbs and salt and pepper. Add all ingredients to the skillet and simmer until carrots are done to your liking. The mixture should be thick. If too saucy, let some of the moisture evaporate. Add the frozen peas and carrots. Try not to overcook!

Butter a 9 x 13 casserole. Pour in the meat mixture and smooth. Spoon the potatoes over the top of the meat and spread evenly.  Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Broil to melt the cheese and brown the top.
Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

To make an Italian-ish version of this:
Substitute red wine for the white wine.
Substitute 1 can cannelini or Great Northern beans for the corn and peas.
Add ¼ cup basil pesto to the meat sauce mixture before topping with the potatoes. 

Scotch Broth

Total Comfort Soup for a Snowy Winter Day
featuring Leyden Glen Lamb raised on the Hills of Leyden, MA

2 pounds lamb stew meat or shoulder chops
2 leeks – white part only sliced thin
1 onion
2 sticks celery
2 large potatoes or 4 small
2 small turnips
3 – 4 carrots
1/ 2 cup pearl barley
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
 

Brown the stew meat in a large soup pot. Dice the onion and add it to the meat in pan. Slice and chop the leek into small slices. Add to the meat and onions. Chop the celery and add to the browning meat mixture. While meat mixture is browning, peel the turnips (if needed), carrots, and potatoes. Chop turnips, carrots and potatoes into all the same size cubes (about 1/ 2 to 3/ 4”).
 

Once the meat is thoroughly browned, cover generously with water. Bring to a boil, then lower immediately to a simmer. After five minutes, add the barley, root veggies, herbs and salt and pepper.
 

Cover and cook until barley is tender - about 45 minutes. Remove bones from shoulder chops if necessary. Serve immediately. This soup, as with most, will taste better the second day. It will be necessary to add some water when re-heating as the barley will swell.

Autumn Lamb Shanks

Kristin's Autumn Lamb Shanks:

I usually serve one shank per person but this depends on people's appetites and the size of the shank. Serve with crusty bread, a salad and some nice cooked white beans. A perfect meal for a late autumn or winter weekend day.

4 lamb shanks
1 large can of peeled Italian tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups of wine - I prefer red but white will do

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place all ingredients in a Dutch oven. You can cut up the tomatoes a bit if you want but it isn't necessary. I use a copper pot but any pot will do as long as it can go on direct heat and oven heat. I don't have any Le Creuset pots but I think they would be perfect. Place the Dutch oven on the top of the stove and bring it to a boil. Once the mixture boils, place it in the oven with the lid on. Cook until tender - about three to four hours. The shanks are done when they easily pull away from the bone.

Irish Lamb Stew

Leyden Glen Farm’s Irish Lamb Stew

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I love cooking lamb stew (or stew of any kind for that matter). The scent of the bubbling meat stock on the kitchen stove warms my insides as soon as I walk in the door from doing farm chores. I chop all the veggies in the morning after breakfast and begin the stewing process. After lunch, I add all the extra veggies that I have already cut up and cook the stew until the veggies are just done. I let the pot sit and cool on the stove to develop the flavor. It is always better the second day.  

Traditional Irish lamb stew does not contain any vegetables but potatoes, onions, and leeks. I’m not a traditional girl so I add some great winter storage root crops including carrots and turnips. They add an interesting texture to the stew and a bit of color since it can verge on mushy and brown.

Potato Notes: It’s nice to use a mix of both a floury potato (traditional bakers including Russet and Idaho) and a waxier potato (Yukon Gold and small reds). Add the floury potatoes in the beginning of the stew. They will fall apart and make the sauce thick. I add the waxy potatoes with the rest of the vegetables and only cook them until they are just done so they will hold their shape.

I use lamb stock as my liquid but I’m a sheep farmer and frequently have leftover bones to cook up a good flavorful stock. You can substitute water or beef or chicken stock for your liquid. A bottle of Guinness might add an interesting flavor. Feel free to use more lamb if you want a meatier, chewier stew. The small amount of meat in this recipe will give great flavor but if you’ve got a house full of die-hard carnivores, use at least 2 pounds of lamb.

What You Will Need to make Irish Lamb Stew for 6 people:

1 to 1 1/2 lb. Leyden Glen Farm lamb stew meat or 1/2 lamb shoulder (bone-in)
2 small to medium onions
1 1/2 lbs. potatoes (see potato notes above)
1 small to medium turnip
7 carrots
salt and pepper
2 T. olive oil
16 oz. water, lamb stock or beef stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf

Chop the onions. Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a soup pot and brown the onions until translucent. Remove and reserve the onions leaving a bit of the juice in the bottom of the pot. Add the lamb and brown. Add salt and pepper. Remove the fat if your lamb is too fatty. The fat from the lamb will add flavor but too much isn’t pleasant.

Step One: Peel and dice the potatoes. I like to dice the floury potatoes small and leave the waxy ones in larger chunks. When the lamb is brown, add half the potatoes (use the smaller floury potato dice) and the reserved cooked onions. Add your liquid of choice (water, stock or beer) and dried thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer. Cook for 1 1/2 to two hours. It may be necessary to add more water to avoid scorching. By the end of the cooking time, the potatoes should have disintegrated and become the thickener for the stewy-sauce. If they haven’t, use a potato masher and squash them down to thicken the stew.

Step Two: In the meantime, peel the carrots and turnips. Cut into chunks about an inch square. Add the remaining waxy potatoes, carrots and turnips to the stew and cook until the newly added vegetables are to your liking. A half hour usually does it for me. Some people like their veggies more whole and crunchy and some like them mushier. You decide!

Crock Pot Instructions: If you want to use a crock pot, throw all Step One ingredients into the crock pot and cook until the meat is tender. On top of your stove, cook the remaining vegetables in water until they are as you like them. Drain them and set aside. About 1/2 hour before you are to eat, add the cooked veggies to the crock pot, turn it to high and finish it all up.

For either version: Correct the seasonings and if you have time, let the stew sit overnight to develop the flavor. A sprinkling of chopped parsley adds a nice bit of color and will make your stew more appealing. Serve with a green salad, a loaf of crunchy bread and a pint of Guinness.

Lamb and Lentil Soup

 Penny's Lentil and Lamb Soup

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1 pound lentils (preferably French Le Puy)

¼ cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic

1 medium onion

1 small can tomatoes (14 ounces)

3 carrots

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon oregano

1 pound ground lamb or lamb sausage removed from casings

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and mince garlic. Chop onions into small dice. Heat olive oil in a soup pot. Brown onions and garlic taking care not to burn the garlic. Remove cooked onions and garlic and reserve. Brown lamb in soup pot. Drain off extra fat. Return onions and garlic to pot. Add the tomatoes, and lentils and cover by one inch with water. Bring to a boil, then turn to simmer adding herbs. Cook for thirty minutes. Peel and chop the carrots, cutting them on a diagonal so they are largish. Add carrots and cook the soup until the carrots are done to your liking. Add the vinegar. Let the soup sit if you have time so the flavors will mingle. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Substitute 3 Tablespoons wine vinegar and ½ teaspoon sugar if balsamic is not available. The key to this soup is the vinegar!