LAMBTASTIC!

Border Springs Farm photo credit Mike Saurez

WISH EWE WERE HERE....

Shepherd. Lamb fanatic. Owner of a thousand acres of Southern Heaven within the shadow of the Blue Ridge. A bon vivante whose contact list includes the who's who of chefs from the Mississippi to New York City. That's Craig Rogers, former Dean of Engineering, CEO of his own startup, now owner of Border Springs Farm in Patrick County, VA.

Once a year, Craig welcomes chefs, food artisans, writers, foodies and other professional fans of lamb to his Border Springs Farm for a three day orgy he calls LAMBSTOCK. Think Woodstock with music under a bandstand, yes, but more importantly, as a humongous picnic that allows you to gorge yourself with tender, succulent lamb prepared by some of the nations top chefs.

This year, George Mendes of Aldea in New York City, one of Food & Wines Best New Chefs; Sean Brock of HUSK, winner of the James Beard Best Chef in the Southeast; John Currence of City Grocery in Oxford, Miss, another contender for that award; and other big name chefs brought their staff and RVs or tents, slept in the sheep pastures and then for three days prepared lamb for our tasting.

EWE'RE HOT . . . . .COUNTING SHEEP. . . . BAAAAAD TO THE BONE (thanks to the American Lamb Board)

Here are a few things we tasted:

Lamb roasted on a spit supervised by Angelo Vangelopoulos of The Ivy Inn in Charlottesville.

Lamb tacos with a smoking hot adobe sauce, salsas. . . and did I mention freshly rolled, pressed on the spot, then grilled tortillas?

Lamb burgers, grilled with freshly made tomato catsup and homemade mustard.

Lamb posole, a spicy stew with hominy, salsa and fatback chips.

An older lamb, a whole splayed mutton, slowly grilled to 190 degrees like a whole hog, for a lamb pickin' by Jimmy Hagood, who owns the Que-osk in the newly opened Charleston Market. www.foodforthesouthernsoul.com

Clams with lamb? You bet, with Rappahannock River Oysters, too.

And to balance the menu, there was gazpacho, and collards, and more collards, and roasted tomatoes . . . .

And dessert? Cookies and a gorgeous coconut cake.

Lime curd, Lemon Curd and a Coconut Paste separate the layers of this Coconut Cake.

FOR THE LOVE OF LAMB, A RECIPE FOR YOU

Here's the recipe for Lamb Burgers that Craig Rogers shared with me for THE NEW BLUE RIDGE COOKBOOK, by Elizabeth Wiegand, Globe Pequot Press, 2010. (c) Please be nice and give credit.

BORDER SPRINGS FARM LAMB BURGERS

Craig Rogers loves to wax poetic about his Texel sheep and lambs, and the Border Collies he trains to keep them in line at Border Springs Farm. These lamb burgers are the very best you’ll ever taste, he says. The mayonnaise provides an exquisite, finishing touch. “Leave the catsup and mustard in the refrigerator in you want to enjoy a true, farm fresh burger,” he says.

FOR HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE WITH A TWIST

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 pinch sea salt

¼ teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 egg, large, fresh from the hen

1 cup olive oil

Optional: 2 teaspoons dill, finely chopped and 1/3 cup feta cheese, OR, 2 teaspoons mint and 2 teaspoons rosemary, both finely chopped

1. In a medium bowl, mix the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, Dijon mustard and egg together well, using a whisk or egg-beaters (or a blender).

2. Very slowly add the olive oil while mixing vigorously or pureeing in the blender. The final product should be whipped-cream smooth and firm.

3. To add a twist try folding in your favorite herbs and cheese once the mayonnaise is complete.

a. For one variation try: 2 teaspoons dill, finely chopped and ⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled. The dill adds some pizzazz and the feta a nice texture.

b. For another twist try: 2 teaspoons mint, finely chopped and 2 teaspoons rosemary, finely chopped.

4. Let the mayonnaise rest in the refrigerator for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to set.

FOR LAMB BURGERS:

2 pounds ground lamb

1 onion, finely chopped

½ cup fresh mint, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 eggs, large, fresh from the hen

½ teaspoon red chilies, crushed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cumin, ground

1 teaspoon coriander seed, ground

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

Homemade Mayonnaise with a Twist (as above)

6 Buns

Sliced tomatoes and onions, optional

1. Prepare charcoal or preheat gas grill.

2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients well.

3. Form 6 burger patties from the mixture.

4. Grill slowly, for approximately 20 minutes. Leave the middle medium rare or to taste.

5. Serve on a good bun, with homemade mayonnaise, a slice of garden fresh tomato and onion.

YIELD: 6 Servings

Grass-Fed

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

These beauty queens, who reside happily at Border Springs Farm just into Virginia at Patrick Springs, know that beauty comes from within, that you are what you eat. And come spring, these Texel sheep will get to eat al fresco, with the Blue Ridge as a backdrop, on green, green pastures, with Border Collies keeping them in line.

They have their own Mr. Rogers, too, in their neighborhood. Owner Craig Rogers is one of the happiest and friendliest fellows I've talked with in my research for THE NEW BLUE RIDGE COOKBOOK, which will be out April 13th. A former CEO and professor of engineering, Roger has now found his true passion - raising sheep (an turkeys et al) and training his beloved dogs.

(photo credit Mike Suarez)

SALAD BAR MEATS

Rogers is one of many farmers employing what Joel Salatin, the Virginia farmer featured in FOOD INC and THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA, calls the "Salad Bar" method of raising meats for our tables. Rather than confined in a feedlot, stuffed with corn, their animals spend their lifetimes happily moving about, going from pasture to pasture to munch on fresh grass each day. They are raised and treated humanely, and are processed in a humane way, as well - something we meat-eaters seldom think about but worthy of our respect.

Why eat grass-fed meat? It truly is so much healthier for us. It's leaner. There are more omega-3 fats, vitamin A and E, and cancer-fighting CLA. And, there's less of an environmental footprint. And the flavor is different - perhaps sweeter and more intense.

HIGHER COST

Yep, grass-fed costs more than meats you find in the grocery store or big box warehouses. Rather a bit more, like double. But the benefits - for my health, for the environment, for animal welfare - weigh in heavily on my conscience these days. So our compromise for the high price? Eat less meat, which is healthier anyway.

COOKS THE SAME?

Not quite. Because grass-fed meat is so lean and has less marbling, it can be a bit more "tough" if it's not cooked right. Beef steaks, for instance, need to be seared on high for about a minute on each side, to lock in the fats and juices, then cooked on medium low heat until desired doneness. Roasts need to be cooked low and slow, like in a crock pot.

LAMB CHOPS

I pulled some lamb chops from the freezer recently that had been vacuum-packed, grown on the Little River Ranch near Hillsborough, NC. Owner Bruce Roberts is a friendly, knowledgeable fellow who sells at the farmers market on Durant Road in North Raleigh, and bubbles with enthusiasm as he shares his farming philosophy and all its benefits.

Out came my trusty cast iron skillet, the cooking instrument of choice with grass-fed. I snipped some rosemary, chopped some garlic and mixed them together on my cutting board. Then I rubbed each

chop with a coarse grainy mustard, then pressed it into the herb mixture.

Grass-fed needs to be seared on high heat first, so I heated up the skillet and added a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Just before the oil began to smoke, I added the prepared chops. I cooked them on high heat for three minutes each side, which left them a bit more rare than I would have liked.

Next time, I'll sear them on each side for a minute, turn the heat down and cook them for a bit longer, but not much longer as lamb really does taste better when it's still red. I cleaned the pan with some red wine, reduced it, then dribbled it over the chops. Dished up with sweet potatoes and sugar snap peas, and a glass of Cote du Rhone, these grass-fed lamb chops made a fine dinner.

The flavor was divine - not "mutton-y." The texture was firm but not tough. They were worth the extra cost.