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.

Spring Garlic Soup with Crispy Bacon

This is a delicious way to take advantage of the delicate flavor of the spring garlic found in the farmers' markets this month. You can make it without the bacon and with veggie stock instead of chicken stock for a vegetarian version.

You'll need:

2 bunches spring garlic, sliced (about 2c)
3 shallots, sliced
4 thick-cut slices of bacon, sliced into 1/2" pieces
8c chicken broth (low sodium)
1/2c white wine or vermouth
1 large yukon gold or russet potato, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves
(optional: parmesan rind or a piece of irrevocably hardened parmesan)
chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish
lime for garnish, optional

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, render bacon slowly over medium heat, pouring out the fat as it pools. When bacon starts to foam, remove and drain on a paper towel. You should have very crispy bacon bits. Set aside.

(Vegetarian version: Heat 1T oil in a heavy-bottomed pot.)

Pour out any remaining fat and wipe any burned bits with a paper towel. Add shallots, spring garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, over medium heat about 5 minutes, until garlic is fragrant.

Deglaze with wine and add chicken broth, scraping to incorporate fond. Add potatoes, bay leaves, and parmesan rind if using. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 1/2 an hour, or until garlic and potatoes are tender.

Remove parmesan and bay leaves. Puree soup with a hand blender, if you want (or just smash the potatoes with a wooden spoon). If you puree, leave a few green garlic bits for contrast.

Return pureed soup to heat. Taste & adjust with salt & pepper.

Serve with bacon bits and cilantro or parsley
and a squeeze of lime.

Warm Rice Noodle Salad with Roasted Vegetables

This salad makes a great hot lunch because you can throw almost any veggie in and they will all come together because of the tangy soy dressing, cilantro, and peanuts. It would also be delicious cold and thus makes a good choice for picnics.

You'll need:

rice stick noodles
broccoli, cut into florets
shitake mushrooms, stems discarded, quartered
carrots, julienned
spring garlic, sliced
green onion, sliced
cilantro, chopped
peanuts, partially crushed

1t olive oil
1t soy sauce
1T sesame oil
1T dark soy sauce
1t hoisin sauce
1t chili garlic sauce
1/2t rice vinegar


Heat oven to 400 degrees (if you're in a hurry, you can saute the veggies instead of roasting them). Toss broccoli and mushrooms with salt, pepper, olive oil & soy sauce. Roast until golden, about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, boil water for the noodles. Cook noodles until still slightly hard, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse.

Heat sesame oil in a skillet. Add garlic, onion, and carrot. Saute 1 minute. Add noodles. Add dark soy, hoisin, and chili sauces. Mix well so that the noodles absorb the sauce. Add roasted veggies, rice vinegar, and 1T water. Cook, stirring, until noodles are tender. Remove from heat and toss with cilantro and peanuts (and a squeeze of lime if you have one). Serve hot or cold.

Matza Pasta with Dandelion Green & Meat Ragout

Matza pasta was pretty much my favorite passover food as a child. I know it sounds weird, but don't knock it 'til you've tried it. Briefly cooked matza strips make a surprisingly good pasta alternative-- they even have a similar texture. My favorite way to have them is with butter, parmesan, and black pepper, but this ragout makes this more of a meal-- and can easily be served with regular pasta.

Dandelion greens have replaced kale and chard in the farmers markets and are a delicious cooking green (you don't even have to cook them-- they make a good salad too, especially with a warm vinaigrette). As an added bonus, they're remarkably healthy, with more iron & calcium than spinach and even antioxidant properties. They're slightly bitter so the sauce I made is kind of on the sweet side-- if you're using no greens, or a less bitter green (like kale), add some cayenne & cumin to the meat at the end of the browning step and skip the roasted garlic.

You'll need:

3-4 pieces of matza per person (this recipe makes enough sauce for 3-4 people)
1 lb ground beef, about 85% (I used Kobe, as it was on sale, but you can use sirloin or just chuck)
1 large leek, chopped
2 spring garlic, chopped
2T red pepper flakes
1 head roasted garlic (optional, adds sweetness)
2T tomato paste
1 large (28 oz) can peeled Roma tomatoes in sauce
3 handfuls dandelion greens, large stems removed
1T olive oil
1/4c red wine or other liquid

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the beef, salt and pepper. Break up the meat with a wooden spatula and saute until brown. Add leek, spring garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute about 5 more minutes until meat starts to stick to skillet. Add tomato paste and stir to combine; cook 1 more minute. Deglaze with wine (or any liquid), scraping the bottom of the pan. Add tomatoes in their juices and roasted garlic, if using. Stir to combine and lower heat to a simmer.

Boil salted water for the matza. Break matza into long thin strips-- you're going for something resembling pappardelle here. It's ok if they break in two. Put the dry strips on a plate while the water is boiling. When the water is ready, gently add the matza strips, leaving the crumbs behind on the plate (they'll turn the whole thing gooey-- that's why you don't just break the matza into the pot). The matza only needs about 1 minute to cook; taste it for doneness before removing and straining.


Top cooked matza with sauce and a sprinkling of cheese (I used pecorino, above). Serve immediately and mix well to coat matza. (You'll probably need a higher sauce:matza ratio than with pasta.)

Springtime Pasta

This is a springier version of the classic (or not-so-classic) orecchiette with sausage & broccoli rabe. Here we used a mix of cooking greens, goat cheese, and walnuts to brighten up the dish.

You'll need:
4 large handfuls cooking greens, cleaned & trimmed (kale, chard, collard, mustard, etc)
1 lb spicy Italian bulk sausage
1 shallots, sliced
2-3 spring garlic, sliced
1/2c dry red wine
1T red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 lemon
1/2c walnuts, toasted
1 box campanelle pasta (my new favorite!)

Boil water for pasta.

Heat olive oil. Saute shallots and garlic, stirring to make sure they don't burn, for about 4 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and saute 2 minutes.

Put pasta on to cook.

Add sausage, breaking it up into very tiny pieces with a wooden spatula. Let a lot of the fat burn off and the sausage brown slightly. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and red pepper to taste.

Deglaze with red wine; cook until wine is absorbed.

Add greens, tearing them into small pieces as you add them. Cook until wilted.

Add just-undercooked pasta with some of its cooking water (about 1/2c) to the sausage & greens. Stir to combine.

Zest lemon onto pasta; stir. The water should be cooked away; taste and add more water if too dry.

Add goat cheese; mix (or serve dotted with goat cheese). Top with crumbled walnuts to serve.

Grilled Tofu with Spring Garlic

This is a light and tasty meal that can be modified depending on what kind of flavor you're looking for. I ate this over bulgur wheat; you can also serve it over a salad with grapefruit and arugula, for example.

You'll need:

firm tofu, cut into 1/4" slices
2T dark soy
2T pomegranate molasses
1 large spring garlic, sliced thinly
1/4c peanuts, slightly crushed

Mix the soy sauce, molasses, and garlic in a bowl. Add the sliced tofu and marinate 15 minutes. Heat a griddle pan or cast iron skillet and lay the drained tofu slices on pan in one layer; top with garlic slices. Cook about 2 minutes, until bottom is crispy; flip, letting the garlic hit the pan to cook briefly. Transfer to bowl, sprinkle with crushed peanuts, and serve.