To give you a little inspiration for Valentine’s Day, I compiled what I would consider romantic recipes for two. All the recipes work well with both Rack of Lamb and Lamb Loin Chops. Until February 6th our Loin Chop Lover’s Package is 30% off. Say ‘I Love You’ to that very special someone with a lamb dish prepared from the heart and shared together.

French Rib Chops with Balsamic Reduction

• 8 French Rib Chops
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 3/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Red Wine
• 1 sprig of Rosemary
• 2 tablespoons Butter

Herb Citrus Crusted Lamb Chops

• 4 lamb french rib chops
• 1 orange, peel zested
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• rosemary, handful, minced
• olive oil
• maldon sea salt to taste

Rack of Lamb with Roasted Figs

• 1 rack of lamb
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 4 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil

Fig Sauce

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/6 cup red wine
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
• 4 roasted figs, roughly chopped

Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Plum Agrodolce

• 1 lbs lamb chops (about 4-6 chops)
• olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

for agrodolce

• 1 C pomegranate juice
• 1 C japanese plum wine

Imagine driving through the dark, snowy desert, the sagebrush peeking out from under the snow, the headlights off, and the only light for navigation is the spotlight expertly wielded by Nathan Muhn, an Idaho Department of Fish & Game field technician, with rock & roll blaring from the speakers taped to the hood of a truck. Last Thursday, that is exactly what the scene was like when we were searching for the elusive Greater Sage-Grouse, the target of a current study in the desert south of Picabo, Idaho.

I joined Nathan, along with two other volunteers, for an evening of trapping Greater Sage-Grouse in order to radio collar the birds. The goal of the study is to radio collar some of the grouse in the desert south of Picabo and to use their GPS locations to study the population’s movements and distribution in relation to the proposed airport site in the area.

So, meeting at 8:30 PM, Nathan described what we would be doing all night – until 4:30 in the morning. We would be driving through the desert on snow-covered roads, searching for Greater Sage-Grouse with a high-powered spotlight. In order to cover the sound of the truck and of us, we have attached speakers blaring music to the front hood of the truck. When we spot a Greater Sage-Grouse, Nathan shines the light on the bird, causing it to freeze and the driver speeds the truck directly at the bird.

This is when it gets exciting! The two netters hop off the truck and sprint alongside, waiting until the truck comes right up to the grouse, then net the Greater Sage-Grouse, ensuring that it doesn’t escape. With the Greater Sage-Grouse captured, we attach a radio collar to the bird and put an identification band on its leg. We ended up catching four Greater Sage-Grouse over the course of the evening: 3 females and one male. They are big birds, and the male was especially large. These birds are built for winter cold; their legs are completely covered in feathers – unlike a chicken’s – and they have interesting little grips on their toes. Pretty cool!

Needless to say, I was cold and tired when I crawled into bed at 5:30 on Friday morning. But, field biology can be fun and fascinating, and these Greater Sage-Grouse are a crucial member of the sagebrush ecosystems here in central Idaho. So, understanding them a little bit better seems like a great idea.

Male Greater Sage-Grouse displaying

Bodie, Phoebe, Payson and Fiona wearing Lava Lake hats in all 4 great colors!

Click here to buy a Lava Lake hat

photo by Sara Sheehy

During the week I can be pressed for time in the evenings to make a nice slow cooked meal. That’s where my crockpot comes in handy. It is quite a wonderful thing to be able to place an assortment of ingredients into the crockpot before work and come back in the evening to a delicious meal ready to go. And my home is filled with tasty smells to boot.

I love this stew recipe because the prep time is low (I roughly chopped all my ingredients) and you can play around with amounts and seasoning based on what you have. I served this up with mashed cauliflower instead of the typical mashed potatoes or rice to cut down on the starch. To make mashed cauliflower simply blend/ puree steamed cauliflower with salt, pepper and a bit of butter. Enjoy!

Crockpot Lamb Stew

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion peeled and chopped into 2-3 inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped in 1-2 inch pieces
• 1 potato, chopped into 1-2 inch cubes
• 3 collard green leaves, ribbon cut
• Dash of cinnamon
• Dash of cumin
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups water (or stock)
• 1/2 cup red wine
• Lava Lake Lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch cubes

Procedure

1) Trim the exterior fat off the lamb shoulder then cut into 2 inch cubes.

2) Place ingredients into the crockpot starting with the butter first and adding the onions, garlic, carrot, potato, collard greens, salt and pepper, cumin, cinnamon, fresh rosemary, water, red wine and lamb on top.

3) Cook in the crockpot on low for 8-10 hours or on a high for 4-5 hours.

*Recipe adapted from andreabeaman.com

Last week was wonderfully snowy in Idaho. After two months of waiting, with hardly a snowflake in sight, we received over two feet of new snow in just a few days. In addition to assuring happy sheep come spring-time, the snow also made for some happy Lava Lake employees. On Sunday Christina, Heidi and I were all on the slopes of Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain for a day of skiing and riding.

It was my first day on the mountain this year and I have to say, I waited for the right day.  The snow was perfect and the sun was shining brightly all morning.  None of us can wait for our next day on the mountain.

Here’s to celebrating winter!

Mike Gordon, Heidi Watanabe and Scott Watanabe on the Challenger Chairlift

Cold Morning Mist at Lava Lake Ranch

Lamb loin chops are rich and tender and don’t need much to enhance the natural flavor. However, when you cook for that special someone its always nice to spice things up.

This recipe is basically a dry rub that acts as a marinade and a crust and is spicy without the heat. I have scaled the recipe for two but you can adjust it to accommodate more dinner guests. Use this recipe to impress this Valentine’s Day regardless who you will be spending it with.

Adobo Crusted Lamb Loin Chops

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon fennel seed
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 4 Lava Lake Lamb loin chops

Procedure

1) In a skillet, toast fennel seed, cumin seed, coriander seed and cracked pepper until aromatic. Let the mixture cool and then grind coarsely with a spice grinder. ( I used a mortar and pestle)

2) Stir the garlic, salt, oregano and lemon zest into the spice mixture.

3) Rub both sides of the chops with the spice mixture. Cover and let stand for at least an hour.

4) Preheat the oven to 400⁰F. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add roughly 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bring the pan to about smoking point.

5) Place the chops in the pan and sear 4-5 minutes. Sear the other side for 2 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven to cook chops another 5 minutes. You can cook longer for a more well done chop.

6) Serve with a side of sauteed dark greens or your favorite side dish.

*Adapted from a recipe at www.culinary.net

Spring, Summer and Fall at Lava Lake are all wonderful and unique in their own ways; experiencing new life and mountains carpeted in bright green, afternoon fishing and barbecues after checking on the irrigation and livestock, and watching the landscape morph into an exquisite collage of reds, oranges and yellows.

I wouldn’t give up any of those times. But there is something extra special about winter at the ranch; the stillness of the land is captivating and it feels good to just be quiet. Feeling the horses’ thick winter coats is, perhaps, my favorite thing of all, as well as reuniting with the ranch dogs and having a hot cup of tea with the Bennett family.

My parents and I made a trip to the main ranch over the holiday break and, although there was little snow to speak of, it felt great to be back. The barn additions completed during the fall looked fabulous, as did the new paint job. Other than corralling a few escapee horses everything was in great shape.

Lava Lake owners, Kathleen and Brian Bean, spending time with the horses at the ranch.

Frittatas are simple and easy to prepare anytime of the day. They are a great way to use up small amounts of leftovers and produce. I throw together a frittata with what I find in my fridge because nearly anything can go into it: vegetables, meats, herbs, cheeses, etc. I had 2 lamb chorizo sausages left over from another meal, one yukon gold potato and a bit of kale I needed to use up as well as two hungry roommates, so a frittata was a perfect choice for a late morning meal. Enjoy this recipe as a snack, light lunch, with salad or as a hearty filling for a sandwich!

Fittata with Kale, Potato and Lamb Chorizo Sausage

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 yukon gold potato, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 2 lava lake lamb chorizo sausages, sliced
• 7 eggs
• 1/4 grated Pecorino cheese
• salt and pepper

1) In a nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent.

2) Add the garlic, potato, salt and pepper for seasoning and saute over medium-low heat until the potato is tender.

3) Slice the sausage and add to the potato mixture. Then add the kale and saute until slightly wilted.

4) Preheat the broiler. In a bowl whisk the eggs and Pecorino cheese.

5) Stir the egg mixture into the potato/sausage/kale mixture. Cover and cook until the egg mixture is almost set but still runny on top. Roughly 2 minutes.

6) Transfer the skillet under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes allowing the top of the frittata to set and brown.

7) Loosen the frittata from the skillet with a rubber spatula and cut into wedges to serve.