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Here are two recipes that I made this past week. The Lamb, https://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Boneless-Lamb.pdf , is absolutely awesome, if you like lamb. But remember, lamb, is up to one year old and mutton is older than a year. The lamb we used came from the Boise Farmers Market (BFM) – Meadowlark Farms – and most of the veggies for the guacamole did also, at least most of them, came from the BFM. And the guacamole is also wonderful. Use it as a dip at a gathering. My sister adds a little rendered bacon to it. I would use a thick cut bacon, diced, https://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Guac.pdf .
At any rate, try these recipes and let us know how you liked them, or not. If you didn’t like them, please let us know why.
This is the lamb after being cook and the first slice
This This is the guacamole. We like it a little thick. so we don’t mash it so much. If you add bacon, I would use the thick cut, dice it and then let it cool and drain off some of the fat.
I love a good Shepard’s (Shepherd’s) Pie! Much better than a Cottage Pie. Maybe that’s because I do like good lamb. And as a side point, lamb is one year old or younger, while mutton is older than a year, just in case you were wondering. But also, it intrigues me as to the origin of these dishes. I always thought it originated in the Basque country of Spain. But after researching for this article, I am wrong!
Shepherd’s Pie: This dish is believed to have originated in Scotland or northern England (Ireland) during the late 1700s to early 1800s. It was initially made with leftover roasted lamb or mutton, and the term “shepherd” in its name reflects the traditional use of lamb meat.
Cottage Pie is thought to have originated in England, particularly in the Midlands or northern regions, around the same time period as shepherd’s pie. It traditionally uses minced beef, and the term “cottage” likely refers to the modest dwellings of the rural working class, who would have commonly prepared this dish. The cottage pie was the precursor to shepherd’s pie, which was coined in the middle of the 19th century. For a while it was used interchangeably with cottage pie. However, as time went on, a distinction was made: shepherd’s pie referred to a dish made with lamb (because sheep are tended to by shepherds!), and cottage pie referred to a dish made with beef.
This is a Shepherd’s Pie that I made this past week. And I think it was really good. Good robust herb and vegetable flavors. And the ground lamb was awesome with no “wild” taste that you can get with mutton. And it was from a very local farmer. Meadowlark Farms in Nampa, Idaho to be exact. The crust was a combination of Russet (Idaho) potato and Red Potato. I did not have and Harvest Gold potatoes so I made my own! The browning on the top was from a combination of the potatoes and Parmesan cheese. So, if you are interested, here is the recipe I came up with. Feel free to try it. Just let me know how it came out and how much you loved it! https://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Shepards-Pie.pdf
I think this week we really hit the Jackpot with some meals that we made. These are a real surprise and delicious. We liked them all! But then too, Shepard’s Pie is a favorite of every ones. I don’t particularly like yogurt, but the Mango Lassi that I had at a local Indian restaurant, the Bombay Grill in Boise, was absolutely delicious. And the Shrimp Omelet for dinner was a treat. Look at these. Enjoy.
The Breakfast for Dinner was simply a Shrimp Omelet with Campfire Potatoes, Toasted CROW Bread from Acme Bakeshop here in Boise and some Mandarin Orange sections. A standard 2 egg omelet, some 16-20 count shrimp cut into fourths and sauteed in butter with garlic powder and Old Bay seasoning and Eric’s Campfire Potatoes. No particular recipe. Play Chopped of the Kitchen and make do with what you have. I use an 8″ porcelain skillet for mine and clean the pan between omelets. (We have been on 5 cruises and I always watched the Line Chef make omelets to see how it is done. They always used a fresh skillet between omelets!)
Mango Lassi
I do not like yogurt. But now, I can’t really say that anymore. This was delicious and I was introduced to it at the Bombay Grill, an Indian restaurant, here in Boise. The recipe, Mango Lassi, is really easy and the ingredients are probably available at your local grocery store. You can use either fresh mango or you can use mango pulp. Just remember that mango pulp has sugar added, so taste the pulp before adding sugar in the blender. Chill the drink and enjoy! It’s delicious!.
Celery, Candied Pecan and Apple Spring Mix Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Now this salad is absolutely delicious. The celery is cut super thin on the bias and the apple is sliced thin also. Not a difficult recipe and including getting everything prepped, it it takes about 30 minutes to make. Love the Spring Mix greens. Different flavor levels and textures. The recipe, Celery, Pecan, Apple Salad. And the recipe calls for Candied Pecans, so make your own Candied Pecansf. Not hard to do. You will love this salad. We have pared it with a Classic Shepard’s Pie as pictured above.
Classic Shepard’s Pie
And this Classic Shepard’s Pie was fantastic! Here is the recipe Classic Shepard’s Pie Such a classic meal and one that we all like. Easy to do. Traditionally it was made with lamb, but some folks mix 50/50 lamb and beef. They also use 100% beef. But we prefer the traditional lamb way. The potatoes are not peeled and are cut into small chunks to cook. Makes them easier to mash when they are smaller pieces. Just make them creamy smooth so they spread on the top easily.
No. Not all at the same time, except for one dish which is a combination of two items. But first, let’s talk about lamb. Many people don’t like lamb and I can appreciate that. But I’m not so sure that folks are confusing lamb and mutton, which come from the same animal. Here are some differences from masterclass.com. Hope this helps. It’s mostly about time.
Mutton and lamb are two types of meat from sheep at different life cycle stages. Here are the main differences between the two types of red meat:
Age: The key difference between mutton and lamb meats is the animal’s age. While mutton refers to the meat of an older animal (typically around three years old), lamb is the meat of a young animal (often around a year old).
Flavor: Lamb is a younger animal, so the meat hasn’t had time to develop as much flavor—thus, it is milder with a faint, grassy flavor. Alternatively, mutton comes from an older sheep with more fat and muscles, giving it a strong, gamey flavor similar to goat, venison, or wild boar.
Preparation: Due to its toughness, mutton tastes best when cooked slowly, which you can do using a slow cooker, slow-roaster, or meat smoker. In Kentucky, chefs sometimes use the mutton of older sheep for barbecuing. Lamb, however, is a tender cut of meat that benefits from a range of cooking methods, including roasting, grilling, and braising.
Texture: Mutton comes from older sheep that have had more time to develop dense muscles and fat content, resulting in tough meat that can be dry or chewy. Conversely, lamb hasn’t had the time to develop much connective tissue, so the meat is often more tender and moist.
This is a wonderful dish which is fruity and a delicious way to prepare lamb chops. Especially thick cut ones. We get our lamb from Meadowlark Farms in Nampa, ID. The beets – home grown -, Harvard Beets, is from a recipe that Robin came up with and they are wonderful. You can find her recipe at Robin’s Harvard Beets. This makes a wonderful dinner and is a great paring. Any good, jammy Zinfandel will pair well with the lamb. We used a Once & Future Zinfandel (Joel Peterson)
Once again. A delicious Asian type Panko Sesame Shrimp with Broccoli. The photo shows broccolini. That’s all we had so we used it. I think broccoli florets, as the recipe calls for, would be much better. Broccolini tends to be a little “woody” and can be hard to eat. The original recipe called for ginger powder – I changed it to fresh grated ginger and also added some garlic cloves.
The next recipe I want to try is adapted from Rachael Ray, Kielbasa and Pierogi Tray Bake. Problem is, I am having a hard time locating frozen potato pierogis. She used red, yellow and orange peppers, but Robin can not “handle” those peppers, so I have changed it to Poblanos. She has no problem with Poblanos. I also will change the high hot pepper level to 4 drops of Sriracha, which should “tame” the dish, somewhat. We are not particularly fond of hot, spicy foods – Carolina Reapers, habanera or Thai Chilies – so we tend to go light on those hot spices. But you can adjust to your liking when I get the recipe complete.
I pretty much failed to list my sources in the Boise area for beef, pork, eggs and lamb. Some of them will even ship to you. Check the links.
For beef I am using 2 different sources. The newest source for some awesome beef products is Van Lith Ranch, http://vanlithranch.com 200 S Pennsylvania Ave, Fruitland, Idaho 83619. (208) 452-3826. We had a fabulous standing prime rib from them. “At Van Lith Ranch, we raise ultra-premium grass-fed, grain-finished beef here in Idaho. Our family ranch is located on the banks of the Payette River where three generations of Van Liths have been raising beef cattle for over 70 years. We use that generational knowledge and experience to hand-select only the highest of quality animals for our Van Lith Ranch line of meat and that personal attention and dedication shows in every mouthwatering bite.”
Another fabulous source for beef and pork is Malheur River Meats, http://malheurrivermeats.com 4276 John Day Hwy, Vale, OR 97918.(208) 573-1058. Awesome beef, but fantastic thick cut, bone in pork chops. They even have pork chops for stuffing which are cut even thicker. They carry eggs, too, in season. And, you can get a change in red meat by eating buffalo from Browns Buffalo Ranch in Nyssa, https://cunninghampasturedmeats.com/vendors/browns-buffalo-ranch. Great meat, especially the steaks and hump roast.
For eggs and lamb, awesome lamb chops, we use Meadowlark Farms Idaho, https://www.meadowlarkfarmidaho.com/ 9904 Southside Blvd, Nampa, Idaho. 83686 (208) 466-4806. A superb source for outstanding lamb products.
And speaking of eggs, Meadowlark Farms eggs make an awesome Hollandaise sauce and Eggs Benedict. Just look at these. This was delicious! Even went so far as to try Jacque Pepin’s style. Think I will use it again and again and again!
Not local by any means. Braised Scallops on a bed of Spinach and Chard with a light Béchamel and a Cucumber and Radish Salad with Sour Cream. Such a yum dinner. Served with a wonderful and well pared 2020 Parma Ridge Winery Chardonnay, http://www.parmaridge.wine/. They also have an awesome bistro at the winery. Superb food along with the superb wine. But make a reservation first. Check the link. Happy cooking! (BP-MJ)
It isn’t often that we stop and think where our dinner tables would be without our local farmers! No. Produce and meats do not magically appear on our grocery store shelves. It must be produced and cared for by farmers. And in Boise, we are very lucky and honored to have some fantastic local farmers that bring their wears each week to us for our enjoyment and health. To you – Thank-You! Now to go into withdrawal until April 4, 2020. Here are some of the vendors who provided Robin and I with some awesome products.
Overall Market.
Available vegetables
Available Vegetables
Thank-You to-
Malheur River Meats
Eggs and Pork
Meadowlark Farms Eggs and Lamb
Acme Bakeshop Bread – Sourdough, Old World Rye, Whole Grain – Danish, Pantone
Gaston’s Bakery Ham and Cheese Croissant
Brown’s Buffalo Ranch Buffalo
Desert Mountain Grass Fed Beef Beef
Purple Sage Farms Vegetables, Greens and Herbs
The Jelly Lady Wide variety of jelly including Huckleberry and Orange Marmalade
Kelly Canyon Orchards Fresh fruits and jelly Marmalade
Yea! The BFM (Boise Farmers Market) opened today for it’s 2019 season at their new location at Shoreline Drive and Americana in Boise. It was cold. No rain, though. And it was crowded. They did have treats for everyone as pictured here – Ham and Cheese Croissant – and other “goodies”. Dignitaries were there – Head of the Boise Chamber of Commerce, the BFM President and Mayor Dave Bieter. Great to have them all at the Grand Opening. Thank-You!
Head of the Boise Chamber
BFM President
Mayor Dave Bieter opens the market!
The ribbon is cut!
Carrots look awesome
Ham and Cheese Croissant Samples for everyone!
An overcast morning but great to be at The Market – rain or shine!
What a great way to celebrate the birthday of Scottish Poet Robert Burns! An extremely good 5-Star restaurant in Eagle – Le Coq d’Or! 208-947-2840, 176 S. Rosebud Lane, Eagle, Idaho 83616. Tuesday-Thursday: 5:00pm-9:00pm; Friday and Saturday: 5:00pm-10:00pm.
The Restaurant at the Chateau draws upon flavor profiles from around the world: focusing on old-world traditional French and European cuisine, with subtle Eastern and Persian influences. All food served in our restaurant is made from scratch in our kitchen using locally sourced Idaho produce whenever possible. Fresh dining and artful ambiance makes the Restaurant at the Chateau a truly one-of-a-kind, well-rounded dining experience that will continue to enthrall you long after the last bite. Enjoy our house wine Roghani Vineyards or allow Christian Lamotte, our Maitre D’, to suggest one of our 100+ hand-selected wines from around the world.
And a great Truffle and Wine Dinner coming up Saturday, February 23, 2019. Call to make reservations and we will see you there! You will not be disappointed. In the meantime, here is what we had today. (Some of the photos are not the best – first time using the Samsung phone camera. Can only get better.) Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged.
Miss Fisher watches over the dining hall!
Robin in the dinning room.
Always a good wine from their winery. In this case, Shiraz
Green Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
I had this awesome Creamy Mushroom Soup. Delicious!
Wow! What a delightful and exciting wine dinner in Eagle, ID at Bacquet’s Restaurant. Yummy French cuisine! And the wines that paired so well with dinner from 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards. Just look at this menu, the wines and the photos of the food. Great to have a truly French restaurant in the area! (Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged. Enjoy!
Entrance to Bacquet’s Restaurant in Eagle, ID
Main dining room
Wine dinner area
Daughter Marnie and Robin
2017 Select Eagle Foothills AVA Viognier/Roussanne
2014 Eagle Foothills AVA Merlot
Truffle Asparagus Cream Soup
2017 Select Eagle Hills AVA Viognier/Roussanne
Fresh Mussels fresh mussels cooked in a Chardonnay cream sauce with a touch of lavender and honey 2017 Select Eagle Foothills Chardonnay
Lamb Rack with Sauce Diable roasted young vegetables and Chef’s famous potatoes au gratin 2013 Heritage Syrah/Mourvedre
[Sauce Diable is one of many sauces that can be made from a basic and versatile recipe for Quick Brown Sauce. James Beard famously served it with his Deviled Beef Bones, but it is equally delicious with broiled flank steak or broiled chicken. For an even tangier preparation, add small capers and finely chopped sour pickles…A basic brown sauce with the addition of wine, vinegar, shallots and red or black pepper. It’s usually served with broiled meat or poultry.]
Quail Parisienne aux Poivre Rose (Pink Peppercorns) pink peppercorns give pepper flavor without the bite. Served with mushroom risotto and a vegetable galette 2014 Eagle Foothills AVA Merlot
[A savory galette is the easier and more streamlined cousin of a classic Quiche.]
Tarte Fromage from the north of France, Chef Franck’s home, this tarte is filled with Gruyere and five cheeses 2014 Eagle Foothills AVA Cabernet Sauvignon