Bluegrass Farmers Market

It's spring in Kentucky and that means lamb. The great news...the Bluegrass Farmers' Market will have a variety of lamb cuts available on Saturday! Look for leg of lamb, lamb shanks, rack of lamb, lamb roast, lamb spare ribs, ground lamb, etc. See what I mean? It's lamb time in Kentucky and especially at the Bluegrass Farmers' Market! :)

The folks at Stone Burr Farm will be starting their 2013 Bluegrass Farmers' Market season by bringing their lamb and honey this Saturday. They were nice enough to give us some recipes for us to share. Let's start with what they promise is a crowd favorite at potlucks, picnics and anytime folks gather.

Hoppin John

1 lb. of ground lamb; browned and drained of fat
2 cans of black eyed peas; drained and rinsed
2 cans of undrained diced tomatoes
2 - 3 t. olive oil
1/2 cup of chopped onion
5 cloves of garlic; minced
If using dried herbs:
1 t. basil
1 t. oregano
1 t. thyme
(may substitute 1 T. of dried Italian seasoning for the above)
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. salt

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Saute garlic and onion, add ground lamb, black eyed peas, tomatoes, herbs and seasonings and mix well. Continue cooking on the stove top at a slow simmer until liquid is reduced but Hoppin John isn't dry; about 30 minutes. Or continue cooking in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

We use a cast iron skillet and bake in the oven. The last five minutes of cook time we add a cup of sharp cheddar cheese and let it melt.

Serving suggestions: serve Hoppin John over rice or use as a dip with tortilla chips.

P.S. Make sure you save this recipe for the New Year...it's a must have southern tradition!

Here's another favorite from the folks at

Stone Burr Farm!

Honey Glazed Leg of Lamb

Leg of lamb (5-7 lbs.)
1/2 tbsp of dried rosemary
2 tsps. of dried thyme
salt
pepper
1/2 c. honey

1. Preheat the oven to 450^oF

2. Thaw the leg of lamb. Wash and pat dry with paper towels. Coat the entire surface with the grainy mustard. Sprinkle the rosemary and thyme over the mustard then pat to make sure that the herbs don’t fall off. Sprinkle liberally with salt and freshly-ground pepper.

3. Place the leg of lamb on a roasting rack and pop into the oven. Cook at 450^oF for 30 minutes then lower the heat to 300^oF and continue cooking.

   Use a meat thermometer and insert it at the thickest part of the meat. Depending on how rare you want your meat (roast lamb is best when the meat is still pink at the center), the leg of lamb is ready when the thermometer registers an internal temperature of 140^oF (rare) to 160^oF (well done).

4. Halfway through the cooking time, baste the leg with pan juices.

5. Take the lamb out of the oven and brush all over with honey.

6. Now, here’s the most important part. After taking the lamb out of the oven, let it rest uncovered for about half an hour before cutting. Resting allows the juices to settle and for the meat to re-absorb the juices so that they don’t drip off when the meat is cut. Therefore, you get moist meat. Trust me, patience gets well rewarded in this case. And don’t worry about the meat getting cold. Meat that thick takes a long time to turn cold.

7. After the meat has rested, take your knife and start slicing and carving, making sure that every slice has some of the wonderful herb and honey glazed crust.

Cooking time (duration): 2 and 1/2 hours or more, depending on the weight of the lamb leg

Number of servings (yield): 8 to 12

Yup, we'll have plenty of various cuts of lamb

available this Saturday!

Thanks to...

Stone Burr Farm

and

Hughes Farm

Hope to see y'all at the market!