Grilled Grass-fed Bone-in Rib Eye, Roasted Fingerlings with Garlic, Greens with Roasted Golden Beets and Fromage Frais

The "before's"...

Riverside Farm's 'Golden Beets' ... Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with sea salt & cracked pepper, wrap in foil and bake for an hour at 400...

Heron Pond Farm fingerlings and Maine Herb Farm garlic ... Cast iron is my choice: dress in olive oil, s&p and fresh berbs and roast right alongside the beets (these were hefty fingerlings; smaller ones would need 35-40 min)

New Roots Farm's grass-fed bone-in rib eyes ... while the beets and potatoes are roasting, rub these with oil and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper and set aside to warm to room temp before grilling for ~7 or 8 minutes each side (these were thick cut steaks) for medium rare.  Be sure to let them rest to reabsorb their juices.

A glimpse of the very last bag of greens from Heron Pond on Saturday.  I'm already in withdrawal....

The "after's"...

Heirloom Tomato and Corn Stew w/ Blackened Chicken

There could be several names for this concoction: "southwestern stew" (if you added chili and cilantro), "chicken and corn stew" (if you really want chicken to take the show), "kitchen sink soup" (for the surplus of farmstand veggies, and if you added stock), or even, simply, "vegetable stew."

Food With Color

Click on any of the pictures to see them enlarged 100%.

Here we have grilled Beach Pea's rosemary batard, brushed with homemade garlic scape pesto, topped with grilled eggplant (New Roots Farm) smothered in provolone cheese,  8-ball and 1-ball zucchini (small, round, baseball-size green and yellow fruits from Stonewall Farm), grilled sweet Ailsa Craig onions (Touching Earth Farm), slices of luscious tomatoes (Barker's Farm), and, finally, mounds of arugula (Riverside Farm).  Now THAT'S a farmers' market sandwich!  Pass the chips, please!

An heirloom cuke, these White Wonders are heading for another batch of my Summer Herb and Cucumber Soup.   Their creamy white flesh is slightly sweeter than regular cukes.  P.S.  I used basil, parsley and fennel fronds in this batch of soup, and garnished bowls of it with borage and lemon gem marigold flowers.  Delish!  

Cute little flying saucers.

Can you guess what this is?

Delicious Lamb Shish Kebabs with Tzatziki

I marinated Riverslea Farm lamb kebabs in grated ginger, minced garlic, freshly ground cumin seed, turmeric and coriander, olive oil and lemon juice.  Grilled these 1-1/2" chunks for no more than 8 minutes (rotated halfway through), and served over orzo pilaf with a side of delicious tzatziki.  Wedges of red onion, chunks of farm fresh tomato, and cremini mushrooms accompanied the lamb.  Recipe for tzatziki follows:

Perfect, Simple Rack of Lamb

Riverslea Farm lamb - a must try!

Grilled rack of lamb: incredibly tender and juicy, perfect for creating a rich crust, and it takes no time to french the rack (aka, trim and expose the bones, which your butcher can always do) and cook.   Pick some of your favorite herbs, then finely chop and add some olive oil, and you've got a delicious paste to flavor your rack with.  Serve alongside your favorite summer veggies and celebrate good, slow, local cooking!  Or a special someone's birthday.  :)

Total prep time: ~20min for frenching rack; plus ~30min for prepping coals
Total cooking time, depending on size of rack: ~20min
Resting time: 8-10 minutes

Most racks easily serve 4.

This dish, save for the olive oil and seasonings, was made from foods grown/produced within 15 miles of our home: Riverslea Farm lamb; Applecrest Farm green beans; Meadow's Mirth new baby potatoes; McKenzie's Farm cherry tomatoes (40 miles from home, but still a NH farm...); New Roots Farm garlic; and, rosemary, thyme and mint from our garden. 

 A hardwood-charcoal grill was used for this recipe, but a gas grill would work just as well as long as you're able to create a cool area from a hot area.  Follow these tips for ensuring a pleasingly successful rack of lamb:

Reds, Purples and Browns, Oh My!

 First comes red...

Grassfed T-Bones from Twister-Allie Farm in Sanbornton, NH, accompanied by Wilderotter Vineyard's 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Then comes purple...

Peruvian potatoes and shallots from Heron Pond Farm in South Hampton, NH, flavored with sage and thyme from my garden, tossed in extra virgin olive oil and roasted at 375 for ~35-40 minutes 

Then comes a luscious morel cream sauce...(click 'Read More')