I just realized that we just had our first anniversary here at Between Two Forks. With that said, this past year has been a huge learning experience. Not only do I get to share my passion with the world, but I got to connect with some amazing people from all over the world. If you are reading this, you are likely one of those amazing people! I want to say thank you so much for your continuing support. You have made this first year fabulous! This week, in order to celebrate my anniversary, I’ve decided to make a Paleo Summer Lamb Salad served on my Paleo Sourdough. This Paleo Sourdough is the closest thing to tasting like regular sourdough that I have ever had. With a soft, tangy inside and a crunchy, crusty outside, this is bread! Like, real bread! Dev didn’t even know it was Paleo until I told her. For the past year, all my recipes have been funded out of pocket and I’ve decided to try and sell some of my recipes to help keep the blog going. The Paleo Sourdough being the very first test subject. Wish me luck!
We have made it almost a weekly ritual to visit our local farmers market. We see the same people every week and they are beginning to remember us now and smile when we walk up. My little tiny foodie is almost two and is extremely sociable. Rarely does he let a vendor go by without saying hi and bye bye while waving. Because everything is locally grown, you see a lot of the same fruits and veggies at each stand but somehow we still end up finding little treasures tucked away on the tables. Five ingredients used in this week’s Summer Lamb Salad were plucked from the farmers’ market: locally grown garlic, garlic scapes (my new favorite thing), gorgeous golden squash blossoms, fresh mint and the little hidden jewel… famous Sandhill plums. These beautiful little stone fruits are native to the Midwest. They look like cherries and have a sweet inside and tart skin. As soon as they let me try one, I was hooked. Fun fact, Lile was also the same person who provided me with last week’s gem, the huckleberries! On top of finding some great ingredients, I also found some beautiful props from the wonderful ladies over at Penny Lane Vintage Market! I’m so excited to show you all what I did with the ingredients. Are you ready to eat this Summer Lamb Salad? I sure am! Let’s get cooking!
Paleo Summer Lamb Salad:
Lamb:
About 4lbs – 100% Grassfed Leg of Lamb (Quartered)
¼ Cup – Kasandrinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-3 Tbsp – Kasandrinos Mediterranean Dry Rub
1 Tbsp – Coarse Sea Salt
Mint Vinaigrette:
3 Tbsp – Fresh Mint (Finely Chopped)
2 stalks – Garlic Scapes (Finely Chopped)
½ Tsp – Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 Clove – Cooked Garlic (Minced)
Lemon Zest from a Medium Lemon
Juice from 1 Medium Lemon
2-3 Tbsp – Champagne Vinegar
2 Tsp – Organic Honey
1 Tsp – Kasandrinos Lakonia Dipping Seasoning
3 Tbsp – Kasandrinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Tsp – Salt
¼ Tsp – Xanthan Gum (Optional)
Salad:
2-3 – Squash Blossoms (Thin Sliced)
1 Cup – Baby Arugula
5-6 – Sandhill Plums (Pitted and Sliced)
¼ Cup Feta Cheese (Optional)
A few Slices of Paleo Sourdough
This Summer Lamb Salad is super easy to make…. wait…. am I forgetting something? I can’t forget to talk about my incredible ingredients! I understand some of these ingredients might be a bit hard to find. Definitely go visit your local farmers’ markets. I can’t say this enough. There are so many hidden gems that never makes it to the grocery stores because they are not “commercial” enough. To expand your food horizon, you will have to search and hunt, like a pirate for treasure! I mainly want to talk about the squash blossoms and of course the Sandhill plums! The squash blossoms are actually very, very mild in flavor. It adds a very refreshing flavor, much like cucumbers do, but without the added water content or green taste. As for the Sandhill plums, where do I even start? These little darlings pack a lot of flavor. They are not overly sweet but the skin has a fantastic tang that really helps boost your appetite. I can ramble on and on about my ingredients. I better stop and get cooking. Let’s make this Summer Lamb Salad!
Mint Vinaigrette Instructions:
The mint vinaigrette for the Summer Lamb Salad is as easy as it all gets. Just like all vinaigrettes, you mix all the ingredients in a jar and allow the ingredients to collaborate their flavors. It really is that easy. If you cannot find garlic scapes, feel free to skip it and add one clove of minced fresh garlic. Allow the vinaigrette to sit at least an hour before use. I like to add a little xanthan gum to it because it increases it’s viscosity and helps it cling to the food and not just run right off.
Lamb Instructions:
For the lamb, quarter it to make it easier to grill. Mix all of the ingredients together and allow the lamb to marinate for at least an hour before grilling. As always, I never stray from the trusty natural lump charcoal. This time, I actually added some cherry wood to give my lamb some slight smokey flavor. Once it is done marinating, grill it until the internal temps are 135°F for medium rare. The time really varies due to the size of the piece of meat. I cooked it between 10-16 Minutes. Once off the grill, loosely cover the lamb with foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes (Around the same time as the cooking time). The Summer Lamb Salad is almost ready for eating
Salad Instructions:
The Summer Lamb Salad is super easy to assemble. You want to toast a few slices of Paleo Sourdough until they are nice and toasty. Thinly slice a few pieces of lamb and layer it evenly on the toast. Top it with arugula, squash blossoms, Sandhill plums, a drizzle of mint vinaigrette and some crumbled feta and you find yourself with a little slice of heaven on your plate. There you have it, my Summer Lamb Salad. Until next time, eat up my friends!
