lamb chops

Market Matters- Colorful Beans, Grilled Lamb & Retro Style Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

08 Aug 2010
Colorful Wax Beans

Grilled Lamb Chops, Heirloom Beans & Tomatoes with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

My Market Matters post is going to go a slightly different way.

Today I have a colorful selection of beans. Green beans as well as yellow and purple wax beans. But these beautiful beans don't come from the Hollywood Farmers Market right down the hill from me. They come from a Farmers Market in Minnesota. Sartell, MN.

Now I am not on vacation and I haven't moved. You see I did not go to the beans, the beans came to me!

All this came to be because of a certain blogger in Norway, a transpalnted Minnesotan. We bloggers certainly do get around don’t we? You see Siri from The Transplanted Baker likes to arrange market exchanges. This is the second year I have participated and it is a lot of fun.

The concept is simple. Siri matches people up from all over the world. Then these people choose a few items from their local markets and send them to each other.

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Grilled Lamb Chops, Heirloom Beans & Tomatoes with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Grilled Lamb Chops, Heirloom Beans & Tomatoes with Bacon Vinaigrette
By jgreghenry Published August 4, 2010
Prep time: 30
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 8 lamb chops
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 0 salt and pepper, as needed
  • 1 lb assorted heriloom beans, such as wax, or green bean styles
  • 2 sli thick cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2" slices
  • 6 heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 T red wine vinegar
  • 1 t sugar

Directions

Make the chops: Heat the grill to medium heat. Sprinkle chops with salt and the lightly crushed peppercorns, and grill until barely cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve warm or at room temperature with the green beans and tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread the pine nuts in a shallow pan and toast in the oven about 10 minutes, until golden. In a large pan of salted water, cook the beans, stirring once, until just tender. About 4 minutes. Drain immediately and run under cool water to stop the cooking. Drain and dry the beans arranging them on a serving platter. Place the tomato wedges around the edges, and top this arrangement with the lamb chops. Meanwhile in a small skillet, cook the bacon over low heat until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat and add the oil to the skillet. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, and a big pinch of salt and pepper, Stir to incorporate well. Pour the mixture on top of the lamb and beans. Garnish with pine nuts and serve while the Vinaigrette is still warm.

Notes:

serves 4

Easy Picnic Food- Lamb Chops with Savory MInt Sauce

10 Jun 2010
Lamb chops with savory mint sauce from Sippity Sup

I like the romance of a picnic.

But I also like to break the rules. So my picnics usually stretch beyond fried chicken confines. Because there are a lot of great choices that are perfectly suited to eating outdoors, slouched up against a tree with both hands held in front of your face, inhaling the experience of really good food served in a simple manner.

But picnics are more and more rare in my life. Maybe it’s the big city where I live, maybe it’s my age or our big city schedule. Maybe the ground is just further away than it used to be, but I don’t eat outdoors nearly as much as I should.

It seems half my childhood meals were enjoyed on a blanket, even if that blanket was haphazardly strewn across the lawn behind our suburban Michigan house. Could these memories stem from the simple fact that air-conditioning was a luxury not yet enjoyed by our family? Could that be the reason I associate summer with outdoor dining?

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Grilled Lamb Chops with Peppercorns and Savory Mint Sauce

Grilled Lamb Chops with Peppercorns and Savory Mint Sauce
By jgreghenry Published June 9, 2010
Prep time: 60
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 0.75 cup mint leaves, plus more sprigs for garnish
  • 0.25 c water
  • 3 T sugar
  • 0.75 c malt vinegar, apple cider vinegar would be a good substitute
  • 2 clv garlic, minced
  • 0.75 t kosher salt, plus more for lamb, to taste
  • 8 lamb chops
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 0 multi colored peppercorns, lightly crushed, to taste

Directions

Make the dipping sauce: Put 1/2 cup of the mint leaves in a heat-proof medium-sized glass or stainless-steel bowl. In a small stainless-steel saucepan, bring the water to a simmer over moderate heat. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in the vinegar, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Continue to cook 8 or 10 more minutes, until the sauce reduces some and gets slightly syrupy. Pour the mixture over the mint in the bowl. Let the sauce sit until completely cool. Finely mince the remaining mint leaves. Strain the sauce and add the minced mint. Make the chops: Heat the grill to medium heat. Sprinkle chops with salt and the lightly crushed peppercorns, and grill until barely cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve warm or at room temperature with the reserved dipping sauce and mint sprigs if desired.

Notes:

This makes a nice picnic food as it does not need utensils and is wonderful at room temperature. serves 4