Penne with Julienne Vegetables

The last week of May is often cool and rainy then followed by a hot and sunny first week of June. I remember this because it is when the French Open tennis is played at Roland Garros in Paris. For the first time in 9 years I will not be living in Paris or going to watch the action in person. I will not have friends visiting so we can talk about tennis non-stop for two weeks. The live internet video feeds are not available in Germany or Luxembourg and I have no TV so I will not be watching the tennis action (unless I can figure out an alternative). I do, however, have e-mail and Skype access to my friends and we will be sharing our match predictions and other tennis gossip but without the advantage of the usual ‘inside scoop’.

As major tennis fans (and players), we usually go to Roland Garros during the first week to see the newcomers as well as to catch up with our old favourites. We get to see the early surprise upsets. We take this very seriously and plan our activities for every day of the slam – the draw is scrutinized and the order of play matched with our schedule. When our coach could not be in Paris, we would send our updates and get his input on which matches to be sure to see next (and why). We try to get in a match or two ourselves hoping that some of what we have seen rubs off on our own play.

This is also the time I year when I throw the most dinner parties. Some casual ‘drop by after tennis’ ones and more formal ones for days when we are not on-site at Roland Garros. Dinner comes with the understanding that it might be late if there is an interesting match that interrupts the preparation (as when the then unknown Frenchman with the brilliant blue eyes, Marc Gicquel, was playing a couple of years ago – delaying both guests and dinner). Sadly no dinner parties are scheduled for the next two weeks but that could change.

This quick and easy recipe could be made for an after tennis day.




Penne with Julienne Vegetables
Serves 4
30 mL (2 Tbsp) butter
125 mL (1/2 cup) julienne carrots*
125 mL (1/2 cup) julienne zucchini*
125 mL (1/2 cup) green beans, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
125 mL (1/2 cup) frozen small peas
125 mL (1/2 cup) chicken stock
250 mL (1 cup) light cream
60 mL (1/4 cup) Romano cheese, freshly grated (optional)
60 mL (1/4 cup) fresh Italian parsley, chopped (optional)
30 mL (2 Tbsp) fresh dill, chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg
375 g (3/4 lb) penne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook penne in large pot of boiling water until al dente.
Meanwhile melt butter in a large skillet; add carrots, zucchini, green beans and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add peas and stock. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in cream, Romano, parsley, dill and nutmeg. Cook, stirring, until heated through (do not allow to boil).
Drain penne and add to the sauce; toss to coat well. Serve in warmed pasta bowls. Season with salt and pepper.

*julienne = cut into matchstick shaped pieces

Rhubarb Muffins

I spotted rhubarb in our garden the other day and immediately had visions of being in my maternal grandmother’s garden. She had a rhubarb patch at the side of her house in Greenock, Scotland. Gran Blair treated my brother and me to rhubarb stalks and paper cones of sugar for dipping. Rhubarb is tart and the sugar made the green and red stalks edible. Quite exotic for two kids who grew up in Canada and had probably only ever eaten cooked rhubarb.

Rhubarb falls into the “Is it a fruit or a vegetable?” category. It is a vegetable that is used as a fruit. It is one of the 1st food plants ready to be harvested in spring, generally in April/May in the northern hemisphere. Rhubarb needs a cold winter period and only grows in colder climates. Rhubarb has huge green leaves and tall stalks. Only the stalks are edible.
Rhubarb is one product I don’t think about buying but rather picking it from the garden. My mother generally stewed rhubarb and served on its own or over vanilla ice cream or used it as pie filling. Rhubarb is often mixed with other fruit like strawberries or apples to offset the tartness. Rhubarb is great in jams, jellies, muffins, cookies, crumbles and other baked goods. Although I have never tasted it, rumour has it, that it makes a great sauce for poultry, venison and fish. Something I will have to try now that I have access to a supply in the garden.

Rhubarb Muffins
Makes 12
125 mL (1/2 cup) crème fraîche
50 mL (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
1 large egg
300 mL (1-1/4 cups) flour
250 mL (1 cup) fresh rhubarb, diced
80 mL (1/3 cup) brown sugar
2.5 mL (1/2 tsp) baking soda
1 mL (1/4 tsp) salt

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Blend together crème fraîche, oil and egg in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, rhubarb, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir in crème fraîche mixture. Drop into paper-lined (or greased) muffin tins. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until browned and firm to the touch.

Whole Grilled Fish

Temperatures have soared to 23°C in the daytime. The weather has been beautiful and sunny for a couple of weeks now in the SaarLorLux region. Everyone is wearing summer clothing. Last April and early May were like this too but then it turned cold, wet and miserable for most of the summer so we are taking advantage while we can. It stays light until 9:00 p.m. or so in the evenings and doesn’t cool off too much making for the perfect barbecue conditions

Canadians love to barbecue and eat outdoors - the season is short but that is probably what makes it so special. My Dad had a charcoal grill (barbecuing was a man’s domain after all - another reason it may have been popular as the mother’s got the night off from slaving over a hot stove). We had one of the simple round open ones and my Dad taught us how to pile the charcoal to get it started and to spread out the white hot charcoal when it was ready to cook over. When I left home, I bought a cast iron hibachi that served me very well for several years. It was ideal for grilling small quantities. In Paris, with nowhere for a barbecue, I had to make do with using my Le Creuset grill pan under the broiler. I used it many times for grilling “pavé de saumon” and steak. I would preheat the cast iron grill then add the meat or fish and replace the grill under the broiler. This way it cooks from both top and bottom. Convenient but not as exciting as an outdoor barbecue.

Here in Nittel, my friends burn wood in their brick barbecue pit. Wood gives a better flavour to the food but does require more skill to get it started, keep it going and have it last long enough to cook over. My favourite type of barbecue is a gas grill. In Canada, I had a large gas barbecue with a BTU thatallowed for winter grilling. I had a large patio however it was somewhat under equipped with lighting to permit winter grilling. These are great for parties but just remember to check that there is lots of gas in the tank so that you won’t run out half way though. It has been years since I grilled a whole fish on the barbecue. My very attempt at grilling fish was a salmon that I caught out fishing with my family in Victoria, British Columbia. My dad cleaned and scaled, froze and packaged it for my flight back to Edmonton, Alberta. As near as I remember, I stuffed it with lemon slices and herbs, wrapped it in foil and placed it on our hibachi. The neighbourhood cats were intrigued but the fish managed to escape their curiosity and made it to our plates unscathed. Delicious!One taste of grilled huachinango (red snapper) in Cancun and I fell in love with this fish. The lime flavour was so perfect, my friends and I were licking our fingers after picking the bones clean to make sure that we got every possible morsel. I have grilled it in Canada and it was good but not quite as good as the Mexican one. Happy Grilling!!!
Preheat the grill.Rinse the cleaned and scaled whole fish (use salmon, trout, red snapper, bass, sardines or sea bream). Pat dry (wet fish will tend to stick to the grill)Fill the cavity with lemon slices and fennel fronds or sprigs of other fresh herbs such as parsley, dill, rosemary, tarragon or thyme (or a mixture of these.
Cut small slits in the skin on both sides and rub with olive oil When grill is hot, throw on the fish and cook for approximately 10 minutes* per 2.5 cm (1”) of its thickest point. Turn the fish after 5 minutes. Be patient and don’t keep moving the fish around - this will cause it to stick. To test for doneness - press the tines of a fork into the thickest part of the fish - it is ready to remove from the grill when it hasslightly opaque flesh and milky white juice. The fish will continue to cook for about 5 minutes after it is removed from the grill

*Guideline only - this will vary depending on temperature,type of fish, type of grill, etc.

Classic French Vinaigrette

Un Week-end à Paris

I spent the weekend in Paris to take advantage of the May 1st weekend.  Paris does have that “je ne sais quoi”.  At first glance it is dirty, noisy and crowded.  Walking around the city, you start to see its beauty.  It is a mix of the good and the bad.  My experiences over the weekend included both sides of that coin.  Here a just a few. 

Hotel

After successfully checking in, the hotel re-allocated my room and I had unexpected visitors at 00:30 to the shock of both parties.  In the morning I went out for breakfast and returned to find that my room key did not work.  It took an hour to fix the problem.  On a positive note I got to keep the room for a 2nd night on a weekend when rooms were at a premium in Paris.

The new WiFi system that had been installed was not working when I checked in on Thursday.   The new system meant that the card I purchased for the old pay-for-use system could no longer be used.   I was assured that the technician would have the WiFi fixed the next morning – ah I have heard this line before.  Being a holiday weekend (although Friday was a “work day”) in Paris, it was still not working when I checked out on Saturday morning.  The solution - go to the nearby McDo’s and use their free WiFi service, which thankfully did work.

Shopping

I went to the Mac boutique in the FNAC store, and got passed around like a hot potato and never did get an answer to my question.

I found a clothing store that carried my size and had pleasant service from a wonderfully helpful sales lady.

I went to the local marché – this is something I really miss about Paris.  Vendors who know their produce/products and are happy to explain them to you.  Beautiful displays of food that you actually want to buy.

You can probably find anything you want to buy in Paris if you know where to look.  It is a city full of shops with lovely window displays.     

Dining

I ate breakfast and lunch at a new restaurant, La Place, on Place Cambronne.  Nice decor, good food and nice clean toilets too.

Dined with a friend at one of the Greek restaurants near Place St. Michel.  As for the quality of the food - let’s just say I won’t be back there again.

By contrast, I dined with other friends at a Chilean restaurant.  The food and ambiance were impeccable.  I will go back and hopefully soon.

Walking around town

Walk around Paris without looking down at your peril.  There are many obstacles on the sidewalks to step in or walk into.  Seeing dogs do their business on the street does take away from the enjoyment of the scenery.  They are many beautiful buildings in Paris and it is worth stopping to look up.  No two buildings are the same.   

Clean toilets are a RARITY.  Living in Paris, one develops a list of where the good toilets are located and where the 3rd world ones are (for purposes of avoidance) in the various arrondissements.  What is the point of going somewhere to have a lovely dinner then be totally disgusted with the toilets?   As a woman, I cannot do as men do, an all too common sight, I might add, so this is important. 

Noisy and crowded or vibrant - I guess it is a matter of your mood.  One cannot look to carefully at Paris or it is too easy to see the faults.  Paris is a city for walking as there is so much to see.  The metro covers most areas so that you can get back home or to your hotel when you are all walked or shopped out for the day.

This is a version of the salad dressing that is served on many salads in Paris and one I make often.

Classic French Vinaigrette

1 small clove garlic, minced

60 mL (1/4 cup) freshly squeezed lemon juice*

1/2 shallot, minced

2.5 mL (1/2 tsp) Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

125 mL (1/2 cup) extra-virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake.  Taste and adjust ingredients.  Use immediately or cover and refrigerate.

* red or white wine vinegar can be used in place of lemon juice

Millefeuilles de betterave

On April 19th, I headed to Bourgogne for the weekend to celebrate a friend’s birthday. The sun came out as I approached my destination and happily, the warm spring weather had finally arrived. We were able to enjoy our welcome cocktail outdoors on the terrace of the impressive Château Percey before heading indoors to enjoy a night of dinner and dancing. Bernadette Martin, the birthday girl, is a super networker and personal branding guru, and she brought together an interesting, diverse and talented group of people for the party. Everyone had a great time.

Château Percey was in a state of disuse and disrepair before a Dutch family bought it and undertook the renovation process. This is a major undertaking as I remember well from my own experience as the construction project coordinator for renovations to Canada’s Chateau Laurier and Royal York hotels. In old buildings you never know what unforeseen challenges might beset you. To do a project of this size on a personal level is impressive indeed. We were given a tour to get some idea of the state of the size and scope of the project in addition to the outcome in the form of wonderfully renovated gîtes. The Château Percey renovation will be an amazing reflection of their family history while still respecting aspects of the local and historical culture of the château.

La Châtelaine, Lara Lunow, capably managed logistics, preparation and catering the ‘soirée dinatoire’ for our group of 30+ adults and children. Lara also provided us with recommendations for gîtes nearby, as we were too numerous to all stay in the Château. I chose Les Champs Mélisey, where several of the group stayed. Everyone appreciated their large, lovely rooms and the warm hospitality of our hosts, Dominique and Henri Ogier.

One course of the diner at Château Percey was “Millefeuille de betterave” or layers of beets separated with a soft white cheese mixture. I do not have La Châtelaine’s recipe for it but here is my version.

Mini Towers of Beets and Goat’s Cheese
Serves 4

300 g (10 oz) fresh goat’s cheese or mascarpone
4 medium beets, cooked and thickly sliced*
Zest of 1 orange + juice of ¼ orange
1 branch of mint leaves, finely chopped
1 branch of basil leaves, finely chopped
4 chives, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, mix together goat’s cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, orange zest and juice. Add mint, basil and chives; stir into the cheese mixture.
Build 4 towers of beets, separating each slice of beet with a layer of cheese mixture, ending with a slice of beet.

*Beets should be chilled before assembling so that the cheese does not melt and cause the towers to lean.

Carpaccio de bar

To the uninitiated North American, the word “carpaccio” sounds exciting in an «I have no idea what it is but I’ll be adventurous hoping that it is nothing weird» kind of way. More knowing friends will provide the helpful warning “you know that it is raw?” to avoid an embarrassing situation at the table.

In Canada, we were brought up with food presented in pre-packaged in the grocery store and the notion that everything must be cooked until we can be sure that no bacteria survived. If not, we would risk getting very sick. Meanwhile in Europe, people were happily eating meat that was pink in the middle or raw in the forms of carpaccio de boeuf and steak tartare …and not getting violently ill. Enjoying food because it was not overcooked. How appealing is sawing through a leathery piece of meat?

In Canada, while food warnings mounted (don’t eat raw eggs, unpasteurized milk or cheese and the like), our food was being raised in an increasingly commercial fashion and the link between the animal and the food products they become was rapidly disappearing. The animals are being fed things that we really should be scared about. More and more animals are housed in overcrowded conditions and force-fed things that they would not eat in their natural environment and that have to be supplemented with hormones and other chemicals in the name of commercial viability. I don’t think that we should label food “organic” but that we should put warning labels on all food that is not produced in a naturally.

I digress. For me “raw“ is not the issue – “unnatural” is.

I admit that I have never eaten “steak tartare”. In Paris, it is often served as a main course that seems to me to be too large a portion. Steak Tartare is ground or finely chopped steak (called filet américan in Luxembourg and Belgium) prepared with a combination of egg yolk, mustard, anchovy, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, pepper, oil, Cognac, onion, capers, pickles and parsley. On the other hand, the Italian specialty of raw or lightly seared, thinly sliced beef served with Parmesan cheese on a bed of arugula and drizzled with simple dressing of olive oil and lemon juice is delicious.

The name carpaccio is now also given to salmon and other fish that are thinly sliced and drizzled with an olive oil and lemon juice dressing. I have eaten carpaccio de saumon many times in Paris bistros as a starter.

This recipe uses white fish.

Carpaccio de bar
Serves 6

4 filets of bass (or other boneless, skinless white fish)*
125 mL (1/2 cup) olive oil
30 mL (2 Tbsp) dry white wine
Freshly ground white pepper
Fleur de sel**

Finely slice the filet of bass; place on a large platter and drizzle with olive oil and wine. Marinate for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and pepper. Serve immediately.

*Salmon or smoked salmon slices can be substituted for the bass

**Fleur de sel are the delicate salt crystals raked from the top of salt marshes. Fleur de sel contains no additives and is naturally rich in minerals and lower in sodium than other salts. The most highly prized is Fleur de sel de Guérande from Brittany in France.

Mango Chicken

Mango is probably my favourite fruit. Ripe mangoes are juicy and sweet with a unique flavour. There are many varieties of mangoes with skin colours ranging from green to red and yellow. The flesh is a bold yellow-orange. To test for ripeness, apply gentle pressure to the skin and it will yield slightly. Unripe ones will be hard on the inside, paler yellow in colour and less tasty than ripe ones. Fibres spread out from the large central pit and the most highly prized mangoes do not have a fibrous texture (notably the ones from the Philippines). The inedible skin is leathery, waxy and smooth but has many medicinal properties. In addition to being delicious, mangoes are packed with vitamins (including the antioxidant A, C and E ones) and minerals and are very good for you. They are also high in other essential nutrients such as potassium, copper, amino acids, are a good source of dietary fibre and contain an enzyme that acts as a digestive aid.



Mangoes can be messy to eat but are well worth the effort. The more delicate way is to cut off the two wide edges of the mango along the pit, slice the flesh into cubes (taking care not to cut through the skin), turn it inside out (a bit like a porcupine) then remove the cubes to a bowl to eat with a spoon or fork (or scooped it out directly from the skin). The best description I have ever read of how to eat a mango is on the bad girls blog:

This green coloured mango is from Peru and is typical of the type commonly available in Canada and Europe.

These yellow mangoes from Mexico do not have a fibrous texture and are very similar to the highly prized mangoes from the Philippines.

Mangoes – delicious, good for you and messy.

The next question is what to do with them? Add versatile to the list of mango properties. Mango can be served up in many different ways as a snack, beverage, aperitif, starter, salads, main course, side dish (condiment, preserves, salsa) and dessert. Dried mango strips from Cebu in the Philippines are a popular export to many countries around the world. These come from the sweet and non-fibrous mangoes and beat all other dried fruits hands down in my book.

MANGO CHICKEN
Serves 6

2 medium mangoes, chopped
9 boneless chicken thighs
2 cloves garlic, crushed
15 mL (1 Tbsp) freshly grated ginger
30 mL (2 Tbsp) ghee* or vegetable oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2.5 mL (½ tsp) ground coriander
2.5 mL (½ tsp) ground turmeric
2.5 mL (½ tsp) ground cumin
1.25 mL (1/4 tsp) ground ginger
1.25 mL (1/4 tsp) ground cinnamon
300 mL (1-1/4 cup) cream
30 mL (2 Tbsp) limejuice

Process mangoes until puréed; strain into a small bowl.
Combine chicken, garlic and ginger in a large bowl; cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Grill chicken until tender. Cut into 2.5 cm (1”) pieces.
Heat ghee in a large skillet; cook onions, stirring until lightly browned. Add spices; stir until fragrant. Add chicken, mango purée, cream and juice; cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until mixture is thickened slightly.

Serve hot with steamed white basmati rice.

* ghee is clarified butter (heat butter in a small saucepan and remove the white milk solids)

Leek Quiche

Spring seems to be taking the scenic route to arrive in the SaarLorLux region this year. The weather has been very changeable – beautiful and sunny one minute then raining or snowing the next. The plants and trees seem to think it is spring and are trying their best to put on a show of colour.

What to serve at this time of year? How about quiche? One of my favourites is leek quiche. Leeks belong to the same family as onions and garlic. The flavour of leeks is gentler and sweeter than onion. Leeks are a key ingredient in the Scottish cock-a-leekie (leek, potato and chicken stock) soup and French vichyssoise (puréed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream and chicken stock). Vichyssoise is usually served cold but can also be served hot. Leeks can be sautéed and served as a side dish.
Leeks need to be cleaned before using to remove any dirt or sand that can gather between the leaves. Trim the root end and remove any wilted or coarse outer leaves. Chop off the dark green end, leaving just the tenderer light greensand white portions. (Dark green leaves could be used for vegetable stock.) Slice the leeks down the centre and rinse well under cold running water to remove any dirt and sand. Slice or chop as required for the recipe.


Leek Quiche
Serves 4 as main course or 6 as appetizer

60 mL (4 Tbsp) sweet butter
6 leeks, trimmed, well washed and thinly sliced
2 eggs + 2 egg yolks
250 mL (1 cup) light cream
250 mL (1 cup) heavy cream or crème fraîche
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg
1-23 cm (9”) pie shell (pate brisée); partially baked
125 mL (½ cup) grated Gruyere cheese

Melt butter in a skillet. Add sliced leeks and cook, covered, over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until leeks are tender and lightly coloured. Stir frequently or leeks may scorch. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Whisk eggs, yolks and creams together in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a sprinkling of nutmeg.
Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F) with rack positioned on middle level.
Spoon cooled leeks into prepared pie shell. Add cream and egg mixture to fill to within 1 cm (½”) of the top. Sprinkle the Gruyere evenly over the quiche.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until top is well browned and filling is completely set. Cool for 10 min. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Spring is here and it is time for spring vegetables. Things like asparagus, radishes, green onions, tiny purple artichokes should be showing up in the markets. We can buy these vegetables year round but this is when they are at their best. The asparagus is pencil thin and crisp, artichokes are tiny purple buds with little or no choke, green onions are slender stalks with long thin bulbs.
When I moved to Paris, I heard of the French spring tradition of sliced radish and butter sandwiches. Since radishes are available year round now, I don’t know if this spring rite still elicits such excitement. I haven’t had radishes in a sandwich but they make a lovely addition to salads.
The pencil thin green asparagus so common in Canada is rare in France where the preference seems to be for the fat green and white varieties of which I am not so fond.
Italy is probably THE place to be in spring. Italians have the most amazing selection of spring vegetables that are of the ‘here this week, gone the next’ variety.
Thin green onions also seem to be missing in this part of Europe. Usually, we get thicker green stalks and large round white bulbs. The thin ones are often available in Asian grocery stores (at somewhat elevated prices). But yesterday, I spotted some true slender spring onions in the local grocery store.
I like to keep it simple for these vegetables. For asparagus, to retain all the flavour and goodness, grill or oven roast then sprinkle with lemon juice and slivers of Parmesan cheese. Artichokes should be steamed and served with lemon and butter dipping sauce or grilled then drizzled with a good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Oven Roasted Asparagus
Makes 4-6 servings

1 kg (2 lb) asparagus
15 mL (Tbsp) olive oil
2.5 mL (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
1 mL (¼ tsp) salt
60 g (2 oz) Asiago or Parmesan cheese, shaved

Hold asparagus by stem end and bend stalk to snap off woody end. In oven proof baking pan, gently toss asparagus with olive oil, pepper and salt; spread out evenly. Bake for 15 minutes in a 200°C (400°F) oven.
Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, cheese planer or knife, cut cheese into thin slices. Arrange over asparagus; bake for 2-5 min. longer or until the asparagus is tender-crisp and cheese is melted.

Roast Leg of Lamb with Fresh Herbs

Happy Easter / Happy Spring Equinox!!!!

It is time to celebrate the arrival of spring – day is longer than night, plants are coming back to life and we are returning to a world of colour after a long and dreary winter. This year the spring equinox fell on March 20th. We don’t make a big deal of the equinox but it is quite a spectacular sight to see at the astronomical temples of the ancient Mayan ruins if pictures and videos are anything to go by. Visit the tachomas website to see an impressive artistic enactment of the one at Dzibichaltun, Mexico. Maybe one day I will make the pilgrimage myself to see the equinox in person.

One phenomenon of an equinox is a temporary disruption of communications satellites which occurs when the sun is directly behind the satellite relative to the Earth for a short period each day close to the date of the equinox. Could it just be mere coincidence that my GPS was unstable on Thursday and Friday?? It recorded my location correctly on the map but the directions of how to get to my destination were completely scrambled.

Not only is it the spring equinox but it is also Easter. It is a time for bells and bunnies to deliver chocolate eggs to children. How this fits into the remembrance of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is a bit of a mystery. Even the date changes from year to year relative to the equinox since the church calculates Easter Sunday as the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the March equinox (using the fixed date of March 21st for the equinox as opposed to the actual date when it occurs). All a bit Pagan but it seems like a fabulous idea to celebrate the end of winter and the return to the life giving sunshine and warmth of spring with a feast.

Easter dinner is traditionally either roast lamb or baked ham. Try spicing up the side dishes by serving mango salsa or cranberry jalapeno chutney. For vegetables, I suggest horseradish mustard new potatoes and asparagus.

Roast Leg of Lamb with Herbs
Serves 4-6

1.5 kg (3 lbs) leg of lamb
60 mL (4 Tbsp) olive oil
4 cloves garlic, cut in quarters
2 sprigs fresh sage
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
185 mL (6 oz) dry white wine

Trim excess fat from lamb. Rub with olive oil. Make small slits all around the meat using a sharp knife; insert herbs and garlic into slits. Place any remaining herbs and garlic over the lamb; let rest in a cool place for 2 hours before cooking.

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).

Place the lamb in a roasting pan. Pour over 30 mL (2 Tbsp) of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes, basting occasionally. Pour wine over the lamb. Roast for a further 15 minutes, or until meat is cooked to desired doneness.

Remove lamb to a heated serving platter. Remove any surface fat from the pan. Strain pan juices into a gravy boat. Slice the meat and serve with the sauce.