Mary Ate a Little Lamb with a Fresh Bolognase Sauce

KELLY * July 18 * Dinner

So, tonight's dinner was late. It's 10:40 and I'm just finishing. Liz is still in her chair with the bowl in her lap making "mmmm" sounds. I fully admit, that again I was supposed to start the dinner. I did not (and it totally worked out for me again). I was doing 6 loads of laundry, so Liz felt it was a legit excuse for culinary foot-dragging on my part. Anyway, we hooked ourselves up with some fresh ground lamb at the Glenwood Sunday Market and I must admit that it does not suck. Liz feels that I did not respond vehemently enough after my first bite. However, as I was trying to sop the last bit of anything out of the bowl with my bread, she decided that maybe I did not hate the dinner. All I know is that (a) it still freaks me out a little to think about eating lamb, (b) I do not like seeing pictures of the lamb at the stall, and (c) it was very tasty. (And I may or may not be singing about the lamb to the tune of Ludicris's "My Chick Bad.") Thank you. And scene.

ELIZABETH * July 18 * Dinner

It is true that I did not think the reaction to the lamb bolognese was sufficently effusive. Especially as I thought it was awesome. Bolognese is a funny thing. I have tried it a couple times in the past and found that it very easily comes out bland. Tonight, however, the onions and carrots were sweet, the lamb tender and meaty, the tomatoes fresh and red. Starting with a bolognese recipe from The Reluctant Gourmet and improvising freely, it went like this:

* 3 cloves garlic, minced (damn chinese garlic. Soon it will be time for local - the garlic at the market this week was so tiny and dirty and weak looking and it was fifty cents a head argh.)
* 1 onion, finely chopped (organic california via Trader Joe's)
* 3 young carrots, finely chopped (Angelic CSA - yummy! a whole bunch with tops!)

Above sauteed in olive oil, then -

Generous pinch crushed chilis
1/2 or 1 tsp (who measures?) dried rosemary, crushed (Dad's garden)
1/2 c (or so) Australian Shiraz someone left here after a party
5 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/3 lb fresh ground lamb from Mint Creek Farms via Glenwood Sunday Market

Simmered this while cooking the cellentani, then added a little scoop of pasta water for sauciness and stirred together pasta and sauce. Topped with pecorino and sea salt. Both bowls licked clean, despite perceived lack of enthusiasm on the part of K.

Served with a salad - baby green leaf lettuce from CSA, yellow pepper, red onion, kalamatas, sliced black pepper pepperoni (thank god as the black pepper is gone again mon dieu) and dressed with something I found in the fridge that seemed to involve olive oil, red wine vinegar, s/p, anchovies, and mustard.

Kelly is dying to read this so I am going to stop writing as she has been asking for 10 minutes if I am done yet. Perhaps she wants to make lamb bolognese and wants my recipe.

G'Night.