SHEEP Thrills {aka Grilled Herb Crusted Lamb Skewers}

"A Toast to Sheep Thrills!" | Photo Cred: Kerri McMahon

It's easy to dismiss, forget the virtues of lamb during the non-holiday months, focusing our attention on more traditional items such as chicken, steak, and fish; but really, lamb is as versatile and delicious on the grill as it is braised, roasted or when pulled from the oven.  Lamb has a b-a-a-a-a-d reputation for being too gamey, overpowering for certain palates; yet cooking it over an open flame or grill has a brilliant way of tempering the gaminess, making it exponentially more appealing to even the most discriminating, finicky diner. 

So, of course I enthusiastically added lamb to the menu of our annual Thrill of the Grill al fresco dinner party for Citiscapes magazine, and it was the surprise hit of the party.  

Not to mention, the main course for the party was also the easiest to prepare; Fresh Herb Crusted Lamb Skewers with Grilled Grapes can actually be prepped and completed in under 30 minutes. 

We start with three pounds of boneless leg of lamb from Richard’s Meat Market, then once home, sliced the rich meat into small 3 to 5 inch slivers that went into a medium sized mixing bowl.  I then embellished with syrupy extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and a myriad fresh chopped herbs that included basil, thyme, rosemary, mint, and chives. 

"SIZZLE...Repeat" | Phto Cred: Kerri McMahon

After 10 minutes of lamb, herb collusion I then skewered the meat, alternating the marinaded pieces between rough chopped green onions.  Once skewered, the lamb hit a high heat grill for about three minutes on each side, a bit shorter or longer depending on your preference, but a total of six minutes will yield a nice medium rare temperature. 

Lamb-a Dama-Ding-Dong | Photo Cred: Kerri McMahon

After reaching desired temperature, it's critical to allow the lamb to rest for five to seven minutes, this ensures that we lose less juice when we cut into it, thus, allowing a juicier, more delicious bite for our guests. 

While the lamb rests comfortably, we then coat small clusters of red and green grapes with olive oil, salt, and pepper before applying to the high temperature grill; just until the grapes begin to turn smoky and gently split.

Helping Lamb Achieve GRAPEness | Photo Cred: Kerri McMahon

Then simply serve both the skewered lamb and grapes on the same platter, garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and rough chopped basil, chives.  Please note how the sexy, slightly come hither split grapes seem to temper the stylized, gamey flavor of the lamb making it the perfect dish to serve at your next outdoor party.

Enjoy the entire article here:  https://www.citiscapes.com/eats-drinks

Refrigerator Cucumbers - Missouri Childhood in a Jar

Racing my bike through the streets of my small hometown was an integral part of my childhood; always en route to morning swim team practice with a towel wrapped tight around the center handle bars, the city park to roam and play, the fair grounds that connected a series of bike trails in the dense woods on the edge of town, the Wednesday matinee where I first held a girl's popcorn buttery hand, and at least one stop a day at either one of my grandparent's homes to raid their always fully stocked refrigerator.  I could count on very specific foodstuffs, depending on my destination that day; my father's parents always had cold sliced cantaloupe, bologna, RC Cola, and frozen ice cream drumsticks covered in chopped nuts; while my mother's folks maintained a fridge chock full of cranberry juice, leftover bacon from breakfast, fresh peaches from the family orchard, fried okra and onions, pork rinds, the original Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies, and a large Tupperware container filled with ice cold cucumbers and onions in white vinegar.

The refrigerator cucumbers were my favorite - fresh, cold, puckering tart, and utterly refreshing in the middle of those sweltering, humid Missouri summer days.  I stood with the heavy door opened, propped against my skinny, tan legs - holding the cold Tupperware against my belly (yes, there was a time when I wore a half shirt in the early 80s) while I clamped thumb and index finger around the floating coins to plop into my mouth, one after the other.  When I had my fill, I raced back into my care-free childhood, screen door banging loudly behind.

As complicated as cooking could be for the recipes and meals devised by the women in my family, these quick pickles were surprisingly simple and easy to prepare.  Usually, the cucumbers were harvested from  the garden, layered with sliced red or yellow onion, then covered with vinegar that had been embellished with a whisper of salt, sugar, and pepper.  And that was it... 

As much as things have changed, they've also stayed the same in many ways.  I still stand mesmerized in front of an open fridge eating leftovers, drinking milk, or sometimes a cold beer in the middle of the night - but my favorite refrigerator ritual still involves standing in the glow of the intermittent light, munching with eyes rolled back on the nostalgic, tart, ice cold cucumbers from my childhood, albeit sans the half shirt, but now that I think about it, probably sans a shirt at all.    

Refrigerator Cucumbers

1 English Cucumber

2 Cups White Vinegar

1/4 Cup Salt

2 Turns Cracked Black Pepper

Technique - Slice the cucumber into thin coins - place in jar or Tupperware container - cover completely with vinegar, add salt and pepper - chill for at least two hours - then devour.