Lamb and Corn: It’s a Merck Forest meal!

by Cara Davenport, Program Coordinator

The Harwoods, who were farming the land that is now Merck Forest and Farmland Center in the 1800s, grew grains like wheat and rye in addition to other crops in their diversified farming operation. They also grew corn, hay and oats, which they used to feed their livestock. Our flock of 22 ewes, plus our ram and bellwether (Francois and Johnny), are currently in their winter space, the pasture right outside the small animal barn. While it’s a quiet season for them, there are many exciting changes on the horizon as spring approaches. In April their yearly haircut will free them from the thick woolen coats they’ve been growing, just in time for lambing season in May! Then as the land begins to thaw and sprout, we’ll be moving them from one freshly green pasture to another every couple of weeks, giving the pastures time to recover and regrow between rotations.

Here’s a Recipe for Lamb and Polenta: Enjoy!

Cooking Directions:

• Cut the lamb into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper, then toss in the flour until coated. Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pan and bring to heat, then add the lamb to the pan and cook until the meat is browned on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan and keep warm.

• Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan and add the onions, cooking about 10 minutes until they are caramelized. Then add the ginger and garlic, cooking for another minute. Add the rest of the herbs and spices and mix well.

• Add the meat back into the pan with the onions and spices, mixing until well combined. Add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes to the pan, bringing the whole mixture to a boil.

• Lower the heat to a simmer and let it cook covered on low for up to 2 hours, until the meat is tender. Add a cup or two of water as it cooks if the sauce begins to get too thick.

• An hour into the cook time for the meat and sauce, begin to prepare the polenta. You can either use Instant Polenta, which comes with instructions for preparing and usually takes fewer than 10 minutes, or make it with the regular corn grits or coarse cornmeal (not corn flour!) Bring the water, salt and pepper to a boil and then lower to medium heat.

• Stir the water gently and begin slowly adding the cornmeal/ polenta, avoiding lumps. Once the full cup of polenta is added to the water, lower the heat to a simmer.

• Cover and let it cook for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

• Once it is fully cooked (thick and creamy), add the butter and parmesan cheese, stirring well.

• Serve the lamb and sauce over the polenta. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Lamb and Sauce:

1 pound lamb

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion (chopped fine - about

2 cups when chopped)

3 garlic cloves

1/2 inch ginger, or ½ teaspoon ginger powder

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cinnamon stick (or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup water

Polenta:

1 cup polenta

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Changing Grit to Gold

To substitute syrup for sugar while cooking and baking, reduce the baking temperature slightly, (10 - 15 degrees F.) and cut volume by 25%. 2 cups of sugar = 1.5 cups of maple syrup. Also, slightly reduce the liquid in the recipe (by a tablespoon or two).