It’s been a while! I’ve been running ragged during the my “job adjustment period”. Things are finally starting to fall into place!
So, on to the foods. Fall brings all sorts of splendid items flowing into the Clark Park Farmer’s Market. The huge cornucopia of in-season ingredients, along with the beautiful weather, have inspired me to engage in sinful culinary pursuits. Thankfully Marilyn has been kind enough to do most of the cooking for the past couple weeks, so I thought I would return the favor.
Last night I prepared a farmer’s market feast: grilled lamb chops, roasted Brussels sprouts and steamed Beauregard yams for Marilyn and Eric. The meal was delicious, though fairly straightforward and simple. I usually make a yogurt/mustard sauce for lamb-dipping, but have become fairly bored with that, so this time I tried a different sauce as well. Lamb seems to go well with fruit and red wine, so I concocted a reduction of sorts. It was very simple:
1 cup of red wine
3/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of Chambord liquor
4-6 sprigs of fresh sage
1 tablespoon of butter
cracked black pepper
I combined the first three ingredients in a saucier and simmered on low until it reduced to half. After removing the pan off the heat, I added the butter and pepper, then spooned the reduction over the grilled meat. The consistency was that of chocolate syrup and almost just a sweet. After deciding the reduction was too decadent a sauce to be limited to savory delectables, it was poured over vanilla ice cream for dessert. The Chambord’s velvet raspberry flavor and the sharp bite of the pepper was an amazing compliment to the frozen cream. I would have added some strawberries to the sauce if they had been in season. Perhaps I’ll do that in the spring.
The reduction was borderline food porn, honestly. The thick sauce was slightly spicy from the pepper and naturally dark and sweet. It coated the back of my spoon seductively, marking the perfect ratio of butter to liquid. I imagine that this sauce could be employed for other recreational uses, but that is a post for another blog, methinks. 🙂
Leave a Reply