Seasonal food is slowly fading as a concept with international food flooding our supermarkets regardless of season. Years ago, I would take a trip to New York for a night at the theatre with an afternoon feast at Lindy’s to get not only their famous cheesecake but also a special treat a dish of fresh strawberries in February. Now every supermarket is willing to sell me strawberries at any time of the year.
In Germany, seasonal food is still epitomized by Spargelzeit, the national obsession with white asparagus available only in April and May. Because of its brief season, fresh asparagus is still a harbinger of spring even in Maine.
A less familiar harbinger of spring is lamb. It has been historically associated with a variety of dishes for spring festivals, and although it is used extensively in Mediterranean dishes, it has not gained the same popularity in USA. Recent appearances of a variety of lamb cuts in our supermarkets have been a welcome addition to my seasonal menus.
Butterflied Greek leg of lamb
Butterflied leg of lamb (Photo courtesy I. Winicov Harrington)
A 6 lb leg of lamb may seem formidable to cook for only four people but fortunately the butterflied cut with the bone removed is a more moderate 3.5 lb as advertised and is much easier to handle. A note of caution – check the actual weight of the package for cooking time since mine arrived at only 2.5 lb.
For tender flavorful slices of lamb, the meat needs to be marinated overnight, seared, and quickly cooked to rare or medium rare, or it will get tough unless braised in a stew.
For the marinade, combine 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, zest of 1 lemon, 3 large garlic cloves minced, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, and 1/2 cup olive oil.
Cut 1 package butterflied leg of lamb in half for easier handling and marinate the meat overnight in the refrigerator in a plastic bag, massaging the bag for the marinade to reach all surfaces.
Remove the bag from refrigerator and allow 1 hour at room temperature before cooking. Set a large pan on high heat, spray with olive oil, and sear meat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Place pieces on a rack or a ridged sheet pan and bake in the oven preheated to 350 degrees for 21 minutes for medium rare or when the meat thermometer to 135 degrees.
Pistachio pilaf (Photo courtesy I. Winicov Harrington)
Remove from oven and tent with aluminum foil for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh basil and rosemary. Serve with pistachio pilaf and asparagus hollandaise. Leftovers make wonderful sandwiches on pita or other bread with tzatziki sauce and greens.
Pistachio pilaf
Rinse basmati rice in three changes of water and set aside. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a medium pot and saute 1/2 large onion finely chopped and 1 diced carrot for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and coat with the vegetables then 1/2 cup white wine and cook for 1 minute.
Add 2 1/4 cups chicken broth, 1/4 cup dried currants, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp saffron, and 2-3 strips lemon zest. Bring to boil, cover and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
Uncover and stir in 1 tbsp butter and 1/2 cup halved pistachios. Heat for additional couple of minutes, remove bay leaf, and serve warm. Can be reheated in microwave
Blackberry dumplings
Blackberry dumplings (Photo courtesy I. Winicov Harrington)
Easy colorful fruity desserts are a boon to the home cook in any season. These dumplings are adapted from “Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking,” (1955) by Meta Givens, who got it from an American Indian woman, dating before the time of home ovens.
Place 1 qt washed and drained blackberries in a 3 qt pot. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, a small pinch of salt, and grated zest of 1 lemon. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
For dumplings, sift together in a small bowl 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder. Using two knives, cut in 1 1/2 tbsp cold butter until size of rice. Stir in vigorously 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp milk. Drop dumplings from a heaping tsp into the simmering berries. Cover tightly and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
Serve dumplings in individual dishes with berries and sauce on top.
(I. Winicov Harrington, of Waldoboro, is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less Than $5.00 a Day: The Smart-Frugal Food Plan” and “Uncharted Journey from Riga.” For more information, go to winicov-harrington.com.)
