By Lori Goldsby
Is there anything better than a beautiful morning at our local farmer’s market? As we walked toward the Nickel Plate stage, the sounds of Sinatra, gently serenaded us. As we got closer, it was a live musician that continued to knock out Frank’s old standards as we browsed through the displays.
Today we came hungry for breakfast, so we stopped at Skillington Farms booth for an egg and sausage sandwich on Swiss honey bread. Stan Skillington and his seven adult kids bake over 80 loaves of bread a week at their farm in Lebanon, Ind., for the various area markets.
This week’s inspiration started at the “Your Family’s Pasta” booth. I love their pasta and chose their “Orzo Supreme” a red bell pepper, saffron, onion, cayenne & mushroom blend. They have added several gluten-free pastas as well. I then headed over to the Royer Farms tent. I have been buying lamb and other meats from Scott and Nikki Royer for over 12 years. Their grass-fed lamb from their Clinton, Ind., farm is incredible! On our way out of the market, we stopped and grabbed a kringle from Pete’s Pastries for tomorrow’s breakfast (or tonight’s dessert!)
Here’s what we made:
Lamb with Spring Veggies and Orzo
1 lb of lamb roast, 2” cubed
½ bottle of red wine
½ c. olive oil
Fresh oregano, thyme and rosemary
Tender baby kale or baby spinach, torn into bite sized pieces.
1 bunch of asparagus
1 c. of grape tomatoes, sliced
4 oz of feta or goat cheese
½ lb of orzo
2 c. beef broth
Marinate lamb cubes in a large Ziploc bag with the wine, olive oil and herbs. Add fresh cracked black pepper. Refrigerate at least one hour or overnight. Skewer and cook over a med flame until a pink center/med rare.
Add oregano and thyme to broth and cook orzo according to package directions. At the last 2 minutes, add the asparagus. Drain & set aside. Orzo can be served warm or room temperature.
Toss baby kale, sliced tomatoes and cheese into cooked orzo, place meat on top and sprinkle cheese on top. Both feta and goat cheese will taste fresher if you buy the block style. The pre-crumbled forms, while easier, have a desiccant coating that mask their true flavors. It is easy enough to use a fork to flake the cheese on top. Mangia!
Lori Goldsby is a local caterer and food writer. You can read her blogs on LoriGoldsbyCatering.weebly.com or contact her at [email protected]
