Happy Christmas Eve! I hope you are not scurrying about trying to finish shopping, wrapping, or cooking, or at least are doing so in good cheer and not desperation. I had many desperate Christmases when I was young and luckily they got better with age.
My favorite dinner to make on Christmas is lightly breaded crown roast of lamb, but this year I made the lamb for Christmas Eve instead since we’re eating Christmas Day at the in-laws. The two farmers at the market last weekend were out of rack of lamb but one, Shagbark Mountain, had the lamb tenderloin cut off of the bones. I bought those and will sacrifice the festive appearance of the crown.
Shagbark Mountain farm is in Grant County, WV, in the Potomac Highlands. They raise Black Angus and Simmental cattle, Hampshire, St. Croix and Suffolk sheep, and pastured pork and veal. The animals are pastured on over 120 acres of clover, broome, and orchard grass naturally without hormones or chemical fertilizers. They have free-ranged eggs, and Jersey milk soap that they make in a variety of fragrances. I bought two soaps; I think lavender oat and English garden for my mother and mother-in-law and then forgot to wrap them with their other gifts. I’m not going to sweat it – I just stuck them in my drawers and will wrap them next year.
After work and picking up the kids, I stopped at the farm market and bought a load of produce including a bag of collard greens to use as a bed for the lamb. Since I didn’t want to overpower the flavor of the lamb, I didn’t put much additional flavor into the collard greens, but if you make them alone or with fish, I’d add some garlic and maybe sesame oil. Before you start your sides, put the marinade/rub on the lamb. My lamb came four pieces to a pack, so I divided the marinade between the two bags, rubbed it in a bit, and let them sit in the bags.
Breaded Lamb on Greens
8 lamb ribs
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 crushed cloves garlic
2 t rosemary
1/2 C breadcrumbs
1 t dry mustard
1 t brown mustard
1 t rosemary
Ground pepper and sea salt
Preheat oven to 425. Put the vinegar, garlic, and rosemary on the ribs and let them marinate while you prep your other dishes. Combine the bread crumbs, mustards, and rosemary. Press the crumb mixture on all sides of the lamb.
Bake 25 minutes or until 145 degrees. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Collard Greens
Four handfuls of collard green leaves
1/2 C broth
1/4 t paprika
Ground pepper and sea salt
Remove any tough stem ends from the leaves. Heat the broth in a large pan or medium heat and whisk in the paprika. Add the leaves and let them steam in the broth, turning once in a while to evenly steam and wilt the leaves until the liquid evaporates (about ten minutes).
