Spring 2008
Vermont Eats: "Pronk" if You Love Lamb
By Marialisa Calta
Photographed by Andrew Wellman
Spring and lamb are a winning combination, but finding a local supply can be tough.
There are few more charming sights than tiny lambs gamboling — or "pronking," (the Australian term for that four-legs-off-the-ground-leaping) — in a field in spring. Back in the early 1800s, says Vermont historian and author Michael Sherman, that was a truly familiar sight, as Vermont was, literally, home to more sheep than people. Sheep farming was at its peak in the 1830s, as farmers worked to supply wool for voracious New England textile mills. But as the American West opened up, and rail and canal transportation became feasible, Vermont's sheep industry began to wane. According to Sherman, there was a brief revival during the Civil War, when the North could no longer buy the South's cotton, but well before the turn of the 20th century, Vermont was no longer as sheep-centric as it had been.
In the 1960s, however, the raising of sheep underwent a bit of a revival. Back-to-the-landers often kept a cow and a few sheep and goats for milk, wool and meat. More recently, artisan sheep milk cheeses have won acclaim. Demand for lamb is growing with the advent of the "localvore" movement, which involves not only consumers but also chefs who willingly pay (and charge) a premium for locally raised meats.
But the Vermont lamb industry, like any business, has challenges. There are, to begin with, the basic questions of breed and feed. To Lydia Ratcliff of Andover, founder of Fancy Meats From Vermont — an association of farmers who raise and sell meat animals — that means selecting a "meat" breed rather than a wool or milk breed of sheep. "You wouldn't raise a Jersey cow for meat, or a Hereford for milk," says Ratcliff. "Yet people fail to make distinctions between sheep breeds." As for feed, there is a lively debate over the merits of grass versus grain. Ratcliff and her association come down squarely in the grain camp. "There is a powerful receptivity to the idea of 'grass-fed' animals," says Ratcliff, noting that the term sounds so "natural" and "healthy." But grass-fed lamb, in her opinion, is stringy, tough and has a stronger flavor than grain fed.
The small (20- to 35-pound) "hot house" lambs that are the association's signature lamb product are fed almost entirely on their mother's milk and some hay and grain. Larger (and older) lambs are fed on grain and hay. Selling "hot house" lamb reduces costs, because they are young (and consume little grain) and command top dollar. To further maximize profits, the co-op sells only the whole carcass, which reduces both waste and labor for the farmer and gives chefs leeway to fabricate the cuts they want.
Ratcliff's group supplies some of the most acclaimed restaurants in Manhattan (Blue Hill, Chanterelle) and in Boston (L'Espalier, EVOO), but the whole-carcass rule can be an issue for Vermont chefs who lack the storage facilities of Manhattan restaurants and don't want to buy 12 whole lambs in order to serve 24 racks of lamb entrees on a given weekend.
"I love Vermont lamb," says Lee Duberman of Ariel's in Brookfield, "when I can get it."
Some farmers like Arthur Meade — who, with his wife Jean raises lamb and other meat animals on Winding Brook Farm in Morrisville — do manage to sell cuts of meat (rather than the whole carcass) to local restaurants, markets and food cooperatives. "Someone wants the legs and someone else wants the chops, and I can grind a lot of it and sell it to the markets," he says. "That way, I can move it all."
Barbara Rochat of Chelsea, a sheep farmer and member of Vermont Quality Meats says there is a "critical" lack of slaughterhouses in the state, while others says the problem is more one of staggering breeding times so as not to have every "backyarder" and larger producer butchering at once.
Either way, home cooks can often face the same problems as the restaurant chefs: Vermont lamb can be expensive and hard to find. Ratcliff suggests calling her association for sources, and either buying meat at slaughterhouses or asking there for likely sources. Farmers' markets and food co-ops are also good bets, and lambivores would do well to keep their eyes peeled for those "Freezer Lamb" signs posted in front of farmhouses on back roads. The freezer lamb trade is perfectly legal, says Jackson, as long as the lamb has been processed in an inspected facility.
The rewards of the search include the satisfaction of buying meat from an animal that has avoided the huge feedlots and slaughtering facilities of commercial factory farms. The bottom line, says Ratcliff, is that Vermonters can find healthier, higher quality lamb virtually in their own backyards.
A Springtime Feast
Lamb has been a traditional spring food from ancient times. Christ was anointed as "the lamb of God" in the Gospels, and in the ninth century, Rome adopted the "blessing of the lambs;" lamb then became the main course of the Pope's Easter dinner. (In past centuries, it was also a popular superstition that the devil, which could take the form of all other animals, could never take the shape of a lamb.)
In the Greek Orthodox Church, whole roast lamb is traditionally the centerpiece of the Easter meal. Outside of certain ethnic communities, however, Vermonters — indeed, Americans in general — have traditionally not had a huge appetite for the meat. A 2007 marketing report shows that most Americans eat less than a pound per person per year (compared to, say, 50 pounds per capita in New Zealand). Most food historians agree that World War II (which marked the peak of U.S. lamb production) turned a generation of GIs, who were fed on mutton (a yearling or older) rather than lamb, against the meat.
Beatrice Vaughan, writing in her 1966 "The Old Cook's Almanac," hints at another reason why lamb may not have graced Vermont tables:
"Many housewives regard lamb as too expensive for frequent use," she wrote. She goes on to counsel thrifty homemakers to avoid expensive cuts (the leg and loin chops), and use cheaper cuts for everyday dishes. She includes one lamb recipe, for a ragout made with lamb shoulder.
Yet lamb is popular in fine-dining establishments. Chef Lee Duberman, of Ariel's in Brookfield, says she routinely sells all of her lamb dishes when they are on the menu. Eric Warnstedt and Craig Tresser, chef-owners of Hen of the Wood in Waterbury, say customers clamor for their lamb "specials"— among the highest priced entrees they offer — made from lamb from Winding Brook Farm.
The bottom line, says Winding Brook owner Arthur Meade, is that "the consumer has to want to support local farms, and to appreciate quality."
Lamb Chops with Spring Vegetable Ragout
From Eric Warnstedt
Executive Chef/Owner
Hen of the Wood, Waterbury
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 anchovy fillet, roughly chopped
leaves from 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
½ Tablespoon salt
large pinch of black pepper
8 loin lamb chops
In a shallow bowl, whisk together the oil, basil, garlic, anchovy, rosemary, salt and pepper. Place the lamb chops in the bowl, and turn to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, turning once during that time.
A half hour or so before you plan to cook the chops, make the vegetable ragout.
Remove the chops from the marinade and wipe off as much of the marinade as you can and allow the chops to come up to room temperature.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over high heat, or set your oven to 425°.
For grilling, cook the chops 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium lamb.
If you are using the oven rather than the grill, heat a sauté pan over medium high heat and sear the chops on one side; two minutes should be ample. Turn the chops over, then roast in the oven for 6 minutes.
Veggie Ragout
Several pounds spring vegetables, such as fava beans, spring onions, spring-dug parsnips, baby artichokes and sweet peas1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 Tablespoons vegetable stock or water
½ lemon
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup of mixed herbs such as flat
leaf parsley and mint
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook the vegetables separately in boiling salted water until tender. Drain, cool and set aside.
In a large sauté pan (large enough to hold the vegetables in a single layer) heat the butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the thyme and all of the vegetables. Add the stock or water and cook until the vegetables are warmed through. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and herbs. Season with salt and fresh pepper.
Arrange the vegetables on a platter and place the loin chops atop. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Moussaka
From Chef Lee Duberman
Ariel's Restaurant, Brookfield
For the bottom layer:
1 large eggplant (about 1½ lbs.)
About 3 Tablespoons olive oil
For the filling:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. ground lamb
½ large onion, chopped
1½ teaspoons minced fresh garlic
2½ Tablespoons tomato paste
¾ cup red wine
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the topping:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
dash nutmeg (if desired)
Preheat the oven to 400°. Trim off the stem and slice eggplant into ½"-thick rounds. Place rounds on a cookie sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until soft. Remove from oven. Cover the bottom of an 8" x 8" x 2" baking dish with eggplant, layering until you use it all. Reduce oven temperature to 375°.
While eggplant is baking, heat the 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat, onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Drain off fat and return mixture to heat. Add tomato paste, wine, cinnamon, salt, oregano and pepper, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is very thick. Spread mixture on top of eggplant.
Make the topping: Melt the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until butter is fully absorbed. Add milk slowly, whisking, until mixture is smooth. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly; reduce heat and simmer until thick. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, ricotta, salt and nutmeg, if using. Add the milk mixture to the bowl; whisk to combine.
Pour sauce on top of meat layer, smoothing top to make a level surface.
Bake until lightly browned and bubbling around the edges, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit about 30 minutes before cutting.
Yield: 6 servings
The Inside Scoop
Restaurants, cookbooks and foodie events not to miss
- Late spring is the inexact publication date for a community cookbook, "Halfway to Stewed Rhubarb," according to Bennington Chamber of Commerce executive director Joann Erenhouse. The pub date has been moving as the book keeps growing, she says, but recipes promised include a sampling from 18th century Benningtonians, wood cookstove recipes and dishes from community groups.
- Spring will also find Hardwickians welcoming a new restaurant, Claire's, in the historic (rebuilt after a fire) Bemis Block. Owned by four partners — Chef Steven Obranovich, former sous chef at the acclaimed Michael's On The Hill in Waterbury; Kristina Michelsen, a lawyer and musician who will run the front of the house; Linda Ramsdell, owner of Hardwick's Galaxy Bookshop; and Mike Bosia, a professor at St. Michael's College — the emphasis will be on local foods and "farmhouse cooking from around the world," Bosia says. The atmosphere will be "casual," and entrees will range from about $9 to $20; look for the daily "Big Bowl" (an ample serving of soup, salad or pasta) for $7 to $10. Full bar and acoustic music on Thursday nights will help strengthen what The Boston Globe called Hardwick's "toehold on cool."
- The annual "Flavors of the Valley" celebration, offering food tastings and workshops, will be held April 15 at Hartford High School in White River Junction, from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Last year, 1,500 people came to sample and buy local farm products and restaurant fare, to find local food sources, to sign up for shares in local CSAs, or to attend workshops on organic gardening basics, berry growing and the like. "Flavors" is sponsored by Valley Food & Farm, a program of Vital Communities, a group that works in such areas as education, local food, transportation and housing to try to engage citizens to build "vital communities" in the Upper Valley.
- Amy B. Trubek, an assistant nutrition professor at the University of Vermont, hits the "terroir" running with her new book "A Taste of Place" (University of California Press), due out in May. In the book, Trubek — teacher, orchardist, activist and all-around-foodie — explores the relationship between the taste of food and the place it comes from, weaving together the stories of people who farm and produce food, cook it and eat it, from Vermont to California.
- Woodstock Water Buffalo products have been reborn under the name of Vermont Spoondance Creamery, and the company has premiered a new lowfat yet luxurious water buffalo yogurt and, soon to come, ice cream. The company, whose Mozzarella-Ovalini took first place in the American Cheese Society competition in the fresh mozzarella category last year, is still under the same ownership, but wanted, according to a spokeswoman, a new name and look.