Lunchbox Liz

I've said it before and I'll say it again—Thanksgiving is simply the best. A day (or rather long weekend) for eating with loved ones and giving thanks. I've spend the past three days alternately cooking, eating, weaving, exercising, writing, and doing chores. It is has been lovely. We cranked up our woodstove for the first time to chase away the bitter cold temperatures that have descended in our neck of the woods. Jim set about building a ski-waxing bench with the extra time since there isn't enough snow yet to ski. It's been nice puttering around the house together, an activity we haven't had much time to do lately.
The biggest hit of our Thanksgiving was the pumpkin pie. The filling was made of a baked pie pumpkin gathered from the farm; eggs, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom; a cup of soymilk, and a teaspoon of zantham gum. I used the gluten-free crust from the baking class I took last spring. I'd give you the recipe, but I would feel guilty for sharing someone else's hard work. I hear the teacher is putting together a cookbook. Instead I'll leave you with a Lamb recipe from my high-school friend Kristina in her own hand. Her family is Greek and we used to spend holidays snitching baklava from their kitchen dodging her grandmother who often chased us from the kitchen with a carving knife. Anyway, we used to get a lamb from the farm each spring, but they have sold off her stock. I'm looking forward to finding a new source and giving this recipe a try.

Today's Lunch
Leg of Lamb

ok so here is the lamb recipe, although its only in my head so use your best judgment for measurements. (its soo amazingly easy, but yummy) leave yourself a day or too for marinating.

1 boneless leg of lamb (all tied up)
1 lemon
2+cups olive oil
salt and pepper
1+ head of garlic
a bunch of rosemary
a gallon size ziplock bag

ok first take your garlic, and peel and cut it into slivers. (the big cloves into thirds, the little ones not at all)
then take the rosemary off the sprigs and make a pile.
next take the lamb, and , as brutally as this is, jab it with a small knife to make incisions about 1/2 inch long all over it, I'm talking all sides of the lamb. about 3/4 of an inch between each cut. then, in those incisions, stuff a piece of garlic and some rosemary .
then salt and pepper the lamb, put it inside the ziplock bag, cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bag, and then throw the lemon in the bag. then add the olive oil.
Zip the bag shut, and turn it over a few times.
then refrigerate at least overnight. i like to do 2 days. make sure you turn it over a couple of times.
the reason for the ziplock bag, instead of a pan, is it really engulfs the leg in the oil and juice and marinates the whole thing better than being in a pan. however, if your lamb is too big for a bag, use the pan, you just have to turn it more often.
then when ready to cook, cook it the way you like it. we either grill it, or bake it. (follow the instructions on the lamb package for temp of oven. ) it usually take about 1 1/2 hours.
remember, be careful not to overcook, lamb is best served med-rare
but if you accidentally overcook it, its still yummy!

so, try it out! let me know how it goes