Recipe for Deliciousness

It’s been a week since I returned from the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival. I had a wonderful time.

It’s a great event for fiber shopping. I got lots of wool, but I also got other fibers: silk, yak, angora, and some lovely kid mohair. Mmmmmm….

I always enjoy teaching at WSWF. It’s a very well organized event, and the folks there are so enthusiastic!

This year, food was high on my list of delights. One night I went out to dinner and had a beef brisket sandwich with BBQ sauce. Quite good.

On the last day of the festival, I tried a lamb brat. Wow! I think it was the best brat I’ve ever had. I can hardly wait to attend next year so I can have another. Maybe two.

Interestingly, lamb recipes were a major topic of chat in some of my workshops. I mentioned to the students that I’d be taking home some ground lamb from Carol and Paul Wagner (Hidden Valley Farm & Woolen Mill) . And I also mentioned that I planned to make lamb meatballs. One workshop participant suggested I post my recipe on my blog. Good idea!

(I know some readers might find the idea of eating lamb to be off putting. For those of you who eat meat but avoid lamb, just remember that when the lambs go to market in the fall they are no longer babies; they’re teenagers.)

Amy’s Lamb Meatballs

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

Olive oil

½ c. apple cider

2 lb ground lamb

½ - 1 c. fresh bread crumbs

¼ c. plain yogurt

2 eggs

½ c. grated parmesan cheese

¼ c. chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

2-3 tsp lemon zest (I used all the zest from 1 lemon)

Lots of fresh ground black pepper

1 ¼ tsp. salt

1 ¼ tsp cumin

1 ¼ tsp coriander

½ tsp fennel seed

¼ tsp cayenne

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbs. Tahini

Saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until tender. Add cider and cook until most of fluid is gone. Let cool.

Mix well all of the rest of the ingredients (except olive oil) plus the cooled onion mixture.

Shape into approximately 1” meatballs (relatively small). Add some olive oil to a large fry pan. Cook the meatballs over medium heat until done, turning them frequently. I like to cook them until they are browned a bit.

When I remove them from the pan, I put them on a paper towel-covered plate to soak up excess grease.

Here’s how I serve them: in a pita bread sandwich with cucumbers, tomatoes, and yogurt. Oh so very good!

Note that the amount of each ingredient is pretty flexible. The only ingredient I personally would be wary of increasing is the cinnamon.