Easter Menu & Durham Glen Farm

I stumbled upon Durham Glen Farm on Facebook and was happily surprised to find that they are located 2 miles from my house. Ha, my time on social media pays off! A fledgling pasture raised meat farm, Durham Glen is a well kept secret. I was lucky enough to be able to get the last quarter of a lamb for Easter. Twenty five pounds of meat now sits in my freezer waiting for endless possibilities in the kitchen. I willingly admit that an increased sense of responsibility comes with this meat. This lamb was raised just about in my "backyard". The meat is of the highest quality and I am keenly aware of all that went into getting it to my freezer. I know the farmer now and I respect his work and the animal's life. As a chef, I don't want to, or more importantly need to, do anything with the seasonings or cooking method to mess up this high quality ingredient. And Shawn, the farmer, wants to know what I think of the flavor of his lamb. In other words, we won't be mindlessly horking this meat down until we're so gorged we need to open the top button of our pants and take a nap (well, maybe I'll take a nap). We will be mindfully savoring every portion. To be perfectly honest, this is how we should really feel everytime we eat meat. We eat too much to start with but when we eat it, we should know the farmer, respect the animal and use every single bit to the max. So after we enjoy the roasted lamb meat on Easter, I'll be using the bone and leftover meat to make a soup or a stew, as I will with every cut in my share. The rooster pictured above is Mr. Frizzle. He lives at Durham Glen Farm too and I think he deserves the centerfold. He's a hunky, sassy boy who likes to socialize. I was so taken with him that I forgot to take a picture of the lambs. Trust me, they're cute. It's probably better that I forgot. Stay tuned for more info about Durham Glen. They'll have pigs soon for a Fall harvest and geese too. It's a full farm. No monoculture there. A little 80 acre slice of heaven.

For the menu - everyone has intense family rituals for Easter, I'm sure, or you may have your menu mostly settled. But I thought I would share my Easter menu with you in case you want adopt one of my ideas. Everything will be farm to table with the exception of two things. The first is chocolate covered Peeps bunnies. I'm from Bethlehem so Peeps are nearly as much a part of Easter as church. My daughters and I will melt our own chocolate, poke a stick through the bottom end of the bunny and cover them in chocolate after church on Friday. It's a nice thing to do with kids of all ages and who doesn't love a chocolate covered marshmallow? Seriously. The second is the homemade Key Lime Pie I bought from None Such Farm. I love Key Lime Pie almost as much as I love chocolate and my children so ....... when I saw it that they have it, I couldn't help myself. I've purchased everything from None Such Farm except where otherwise noted. Happy Easter!!!

Deviled Eggs with Durham Glen Farm Bacon

Roasted Leg of Durham Glen Farm Lamb with carrot top pesto

Grits and Greens (recipe posted here a few days ago, scroll down on home page)

Twice Baked Potatoes with chives, sour cream and Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Grilled Asparagus (if availble)

Buckingham Valley Raw Honey Glazed Rainbow Carrots

Carrot Cake Thumbprint Cookies

Almond Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Icing and coconut

Chocolate Covered Bunny Peeps

None Such Farm Key Lime Pie

(well, I guess we will have to loosen the top button on our pants )