Pomegranate Tamarind Glazed Lamb with Minted Spring Garlic Risotto

This was simply delicious, and really very easy to make. The whole thing can come together in about an hour and a half. This recipe and its execution were a team effort, and it turned out beautifully.

Pomegranate Tamarind Glazed Lamb

You'll need:

boneless leg of lamb

1 onion, quartered

1/2 head garlic, minced
3-in piece ginger, peeled & minced
juice of 2-3 limes
1/4c pomegranate molasses
1/4c tamarind paste*
1T cumin
1t cayenne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl:


* If you can't find tamarind paste, just use the tamarind puree with the seeds and break it up with a little hot water, then strain to remove seeds.

Untie the meat and rub it all over with the marinade. Roll it back up and tie it again. Let sit 15 minutes. Pat the outside so it's relatively dry.

Brown the meat on all sides in a heavy pot or pan.

Place the browned meat in a baking pan and pour the leftover marinade on top. Quarter the onion and place it around the meat.

Cook until it looks like this:

(about 1 hour in a 350 degree oven)

Let sit 15 minutes before slicing. When sliced, toss with onions and marinade:

Serve next to risotto:

Minted Spring Garlic Risotto

You'll need:

1 onion, chopped
2c arborio rice
2 stalks spring garlic (also called green garlic), sliced thinly
2T chopped mint
2T olive oil
1/4c vermouth or dry white wine
5c chicken broth

Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Saute onion until translucent; add rice and saute, stirring often, until grains are shiny and separated. Crank up the heat and deglaze pan with wine. When wine is absorbed, lower heat to medium-low and start adding broth, a little at a time, stirring often, until all liquid is absorbed and risotto is tender and creamy. About 5 minutes before it's done, add the garlic and stir. When done, stir in mint. Serve with more chopped mint and grated parmesan.

We also had some lovely roasted kohlrabi and broccoli...

...and salad...

...and strawberries for dessert!

Thanks to Karen for these gorgeous photos.

Kohlrabi: From Greens to Bulb

I bought some beautiful purple kohlrabi at the Farmers' Market last Saturday, only to find that most people have never heard of it, which is a shame. It is not only purple, it is delicious and generous: you can cook the greens like kale, eat the bulb in salad (like radish-meets-apple), or cut the bulb into chunks and roast it like any roasted winter veggie.


Here (above), I've peeled a bulb (the purple part is only on the outside-- the inside is light green) and julienned the flesh, then mixed it with purple savoy cabbage and red radishes, dressed with red wine vinegar and Bariani olive oil, for a quick salad.


Here, I heated some olive oil in a pan and sauteed some sliced garlic and a couple anchovies; then I added the kohlrabi greens (remove the stems, as you would with kale) and sauteed until bright green (about 5 minutes). These would be delicious plain, but I had some leftover pasta, so I put that in as well, with a little water, and steamed it all until the flavors had combined.