FRESHFARM markets – Lamb chili for the fall

My partnership with FRESHFARM markets continues today with a trip to the market by the White House.

So first things first, I have to tell you that what surprised me most about this market is that even though it is small, the choices are anything but! I tasted empanadas, farina cake, there was a place selling gelato, cheese, tortilla and I had the most amazing pulled pork sandwiches.. all in this tiny market! Oh, and of course there was gorgeous produce.

So I started with finding a vendor to buy lamb. I came across Coulter Farms – “Coulter Farms is a family operated farm in Honey Grove, Pennsylvania. They raise certified organic, grass fed beef and lamb. They also produce raw milk cheeses with Certified Organic Milk, Whey fed pork, free-range eggs, honey and Certified Organic 100% Grassfed Jersey Milk” is what it says on the website but what it does not tell you is that in addition to terrific products, the folks who work the stalls at the market are some of the kindest and sweetest people I have ever met. A young lady manning the stalls was telling me all about their wonderful honey and also about the high quality of the lamb. I purchased both the ground and the cubed. With the ground lamb, I made some chili and the recipe is below. And with the cubed lamb, I made some stew with butternut squash and coconut milk. In both cases, the meat was tender and wonderful.

Excellent farina cake with honey from Baklava Couture. The texture is like a dulce de leche cake so they give you a spoon to dig in!

Of course, as I was wondering around — to be fair, it was lunch time — I had to eat something so I tried the pull pork sandwiches served on a cheddar jalapeno bun by The Three Little Pigs. Yep, as good as it sounds if not better.

One of the most intriguing dishes I found at the market was a kale kimchi. I bought it and served it up as suggested and the results were great – not too spicy and with a lot of texture..

And here is my recipe with the lamb I bought from the market. My photos did not turn out well so I am using this photo of the recipe that a friend shot earlier.

Hope you all enjoy!

Lamb Chili in a bread bowl by Monica Bhide

From Modern Spice by Monica Bhide

Serves 4

Prep/Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 medium red onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon store-bought ginger-garlic paste
• One 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 1?4 pounds ground lamb, ground beef or ground turkey
• 1?2 teaspoon red chile powder
• 1?4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1?4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1?8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1?2 teaspoon ground coriander
• One 15- to 16-ounce can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 1?2 cups water
• Four 1-pound round loaves sourdough bread at least 5 inches across
• Table salt
• Finely chopped onion and green chiles (optional) for garnish

Preparation:

1. In a large lidded skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the cinnamon stick. When the stick begins to sizzle, add the onion and ginger-garlic paste. Sauté, stirring, until the onion is golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water if the onion starts to stick to the pan.
2. Add the tomatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the oil begins to leave the sides of the mixture.
3. Add the beef and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
4. Add the chile powder, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, and coriander. Mix well. Cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Add the kidney beans and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the beef is cooked through.
6. While the chili is cooking, prepare the bread bowls: Cut 1/2 inch off the top of each loaf. Gently scoop out the bread from inside the loaf, using care to leave a generous 3?4-inch shell intact.

Once the chili is cooked, remove the cinnamon stick, spoon a cupful of chili into each bowl, salt to taste, garnish with onion and chiles (if using), and serve immediately.

Photo credit for the chili – Stephanie Stiavetti.