Thursday 19 March 2009

Hello and welcome to Lobster Cards! Spring is in the air, the days are at last noticeably longer and lighter, the daffodils are in bloom and the little lambs are gambolling in the fields…. So much promise at this time of year and it’s the time to think of spring in terms of cooking too. Some tasty lamb from our superb local butcher will be on the menu in our house soon, that’s for sure...

A lovely plump leg of lamb for Easter can’t be beaten in my book – either slow-roasted with lemon and cinnamon until the meat just falls off the bone and melts in the mouth, like a Greek kleftiko, or cooked at a high temperature so that it crisps on the outside and stays pink and juicy in the middle – either way it’s perfect. Studded with slivers of garlic and sprigs of rosemary and roasted straight on the oven bars over a tray of thinly sliced seasoned potatoes which absorb all the garlicky, lamby juices dripping on to them is pure heaven. We grew up with this dish for Sunday lunches or dinner parties - and mum always called it “gigot qui pleur”, or Crying Lamb. Served with some “squeaky” green beans, it is just to die for (or cry for) and is so easy there’s barely any need for a written recipe.

The weather this week has also been great for photographing food outdoors – hazy, diffuse light is perfect as it doesn’t throw destructive shadows. This week I’ve had great fun with cabbages and beetroot and, call me strange, but I really believe that the Savoy cabbage is the most photogenic vegetable in the world with its lovely veining and gorgeous jade hues and shape. And the colour of beetroot is just pure magic. After the photo session we rubbed them in olive oil and salt, baked them until tender and had them with a melting venison casserole – a blissful combination. And the cabbage – sauteed with dry-cured smoked bacon, garlic and a little cream made a perfect accompaniment to some plump pork sausages. Any cabbage we don’t finish off our chickens will gobble up like there’s no tomorrow so nothing goes to waste!

More anon – time to sow some seeds in our new vegetable patch and hope they grow into giant beanstalks and juicy carrots. We’re new to this so tips are always welcome! Meantime I look forward to sharing more recipe tips with you soon and I hope you enjoy browsing the card selection.

Happy cooking!
AMT