Spring Dinner

Spring is beautiful.  I realize this is not a new or brilliant observation. But your first outside, late spring dinner of the season is a marker of warm times to come.

Every turn of the season is exciting for chefs.  Enjoying food as the seasons guide you is a satisfying feeling and a healthy way to eat.  Comfortingly, it limits your options in a very natural way.  Recently we had family over for a spring dinner.  One of those nights where everything comes together. That always perfect combination of great food and great company. With a setting that doesn’t distract from either.

The Menu

All the veggies were obtained at the Rancho San Diego Farmers Market.

Radishes/Truffle butter/Brunoise pear/Himalayan salt/Chives

Delicious lobster bisque

Salad- Baby turnips/Grilled butternut squash/Peeled and blanched celery/Shaved parmesan/Gremolata-chimichurri

Roasted lamb shoulder with lamb gravy/Spaetzle and herbs/Chile garlic broccolini

Homemade caramel vanilla ice cream/Melt in your mouth apples/Raw Honey Crisp apple

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This was a personal party at my home with family and none blood family that was really beautiful. I had bought two lamb roasts for the party. The size of the roast was just barely two small for the group. So, I picked up a second. It was interesting that the one I brought home frozen, cooked up much less gamey than the thawed one. The market goes through a lot of lamb, so I don’t believe it was old.