I could call this Shepherd's Pie if I wanted to. After all, it is the third savory pie in a row in this week long tribute to the genre. But I choose to call this Lamb Champvallon. And I'm not the only one.

According to the Larousse Gastronomique, this classic French dish dates from the reign of Louis XIV. It was supposedly invented by one of his mistresses. But which one? There are 14 (quatorze) officially recognized mistresses. That's a lot of ladies to give credit for this dish to.

The French seem to have a lot of these stories attached to their most traditional foods. It's hard to say how much truth there is in any one of them.

Take this recipe known to the French as Cotes D'agneau Champvallon. If it was indeed a lamb dish brought to the King's attention by a mistress, it seems to make sense that her name may have been Champvallon. But most mistresses get short shrift in the history books. I can find no references to any of Louis' lovers with that name.

So I decided it was time for me to take hold of this lore and redefine the history behind this dish to suit my own needs and my own cooking style. While I am rewriting history I think I'll do a bit of tweeking to the recipe too. Something more suited to the modern palate.

To understand Norway, you need to spend some time outside Oslo. The Norwegians are people who enjoy the outdoors. Outdoor recreation and sports are popular. Skiing, fishing, hiking... But an outdoor life also includes work. Rural life is still a vital part of Norwegian culture. Many people make at least part of their living working on the family farm. From dairy to meat to produce.

That's because even today there is a very strong farm culture which defines what is traditionally Norwegian. The harsh climate helped shape this tradition. Long dark winters made travel and commerce more difficult than in more temperate zones. Families and communities developed to be quite self-sufficient. That is a core element of what it means to be Norwegian, from this outsider's perspective.

Being an "outsider", naturally I wanted to get outside of Oslo and see some of the countryside that helps shape the Norwegian farm culture. I am glad I did too. The countryside of Norway is breathtaking. Mountains, lakes, rivers, and fjords. Each one grand in scale. Each one touched by God, I believe that.

We stopped in one such place. It's called Gamlastovo Farm. It's a working farm, sure. But it also has a 250 year old restored farmhouse that serves as a small restaurant, bringing food in the traditional Norwegian style. Simple, rugged and perfectly practical.

I turn to soup when things start to get out of hand. In this case lamb soup with dandelion. It’s an unusual choice, I know. Not many people turn to soup in times of great stress.

Or do they?

You know how I know things are getting out of hand. Well this tasty lamb soup was supposed to have been navarin d'agneau, a French stew traditionally served at spring’s first blush.

I can’t say what’s going on where you live. But spring is blushing out all over here in Los Angeles. Some people wait for that crazy ground hog to announce the change of season, but I turn to another harbinger. The turnip. As soon as those tiny, perfect little turnips poke their fat butts out of their hole in the ground. I know that spring has sprung. Because followed closely behind adorable little turnips, come the tiniest of new carrots and the very best parsnips of the season. Not to mention thin skinned new potatoes and peas; fresh English peas. I don’t know about you, but I look at a list of ingredients like that and I think navarin d'agneau. I really do!

But how did I get from Spring Lamb Stew to stress induced lamb soup?

Welcome to my Summer Kabob Party. This is the first of a weeklong series featuring a different skewered delight every night.

This party started when Natasha at 5 Star Foodie asked me to do a guest blog post for her. Her only request was that I makeover some classic dish as part of her famed makeover series she does monthy at her blog.

I immediately knew I wanted to do a makeover to the ubiquitous backyard shish kabob. They seem perfect for seasonal grilling because the prep can be done in advance. The cooking is so simple even the non-cooks amongst can handle the culinary task. Leaving you time to throw your magic behind some other aspect of the meal.

Kabobs just lend themselves to makeovers too. Because just about anything can grace the skewer and still be considered a kabob, as long as it’s grilled. Meat, shellfish, fruit and vegetables all make terrific kabobs.

So if they are so easy and so versatile, how come so many of today’s backyard kabobs are just plain inedible?