The chefs of Hearth 'n Kettle From left, Bill Cote, Attleboro Chef; Chuck Jones, Weymouth; Chef, Jen Cannon, Falmouth Chef; Steven Higgins, Hearth n Kettle Executive Chef; Dick Catania, Corporate Executive Chef; Jim Reed, Plymouth Chef; Greg Eklund, CCR Sous Chef; Shaun Sintoni, Yarmouth Chef

he blessing and the curse of being a 30-year-old local dining establishment is that people know you. Or they think they do.

Hearth 'n Kettle, which opened its first restaurant in Falmouth in 1973 and has subsequently grown to be a seven-restaurant chain, is probably firmly fixed in some people's minds as a family restaurant where they ate as a child or tried to soak up some alcohol after closing the local bar as a college student.

In fact, this family-owned, family-run business is serving some of the freshest food you'll find on the Cape, and at family-friendly prices. We became aware of the Hearth 'n Kettle's commitment to serving "Cape Cod Fresh" fish when meeting with Melissa Weidman, the Communications Director of Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association (see below). Melissa pointed to an over-size check from Catania Hospitality Group (which owns the Hearth 'n Kettle restaurant chain) hanging on the wall at CCCHFA's offices. The $5,800 amount on the check represents the proceeds raised during a four-week promotion in July 2003 during which five percent of all day-boat scrod entrees sold at the Hearth 'n Kettle was donated to CCCHFA to help them in their mission to promote small-boat sustainable fishing as a way of life on Cape Cod.

Intrigued by the notion of a family-dining restaurant doing something as leading edge as serving branded local foods ("Chatham" sea scallops and "New England" Jonah crab), we contacted the Catania Hospitality Group to learn about the genesis of this strategy. Richard Catania, Corporate Chef of Hearth 'n Kettle and one of the partners of Catania Hospitality Group, politely informed us that while the Cape Cod Fresh branding campaign was indeed new, the restaurant's focus on using local, fresh ingredients was actually a long standing commitment.

Dick, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and former executive chef for ten years at Dan'l Webster Inn (Sandwich), assumed the reins at Hearth 'n Kettle in 1990. Knowing that he could never compete with larger, national chain restaurants in the same category from a price perspective, Dick made a conscious decision to go for freshness and quality instead. His goal was to bring the tastes of fine dining to a family-dining environment.

From day one Dick started re-examining the Hearth 'n Kettle menu, critiquing each recipe and rewriting specs. He researched various cuts of meats to determine the best price-to-quality ratio and found ways to incorporate classic ingredients such as homemade stocks, marinades and sauces, compound butters. He still analyzes the restaurant's recipes in a never-ending quest to make things taste better at an affordable price.

Dick developed all the recipes used by Hearth 'n Kettle, which he has collected in a three-inch-thick three-ring binder. He also created a cooking manual that is used by the chefs at each Hearth 'n Kettle location. It includes step-by-step instructions of how each menu item is to be prepared and a photo of how it is to be presented. Unlike some larger chain restaurants that microwave pre-portioned, pre-cooked frozen entrees, each Hearth 'n Kettle restaurant has a chef and sous chef on site to prepare food according to Dick's specs, in kitchens that are equipped to make everything from scratch (i.e., with ranges, ovens, grills, and steam kettles). Soups and chowders are made fresh daily and are strong sellers. In fact, the only food items cooked off premises are the baked goods, which come from H 'n K bakery in Osterville (also owned by Catania Hospitality Group).

The Hearth 'n Kettle menu changes twice a year in summer and winter, catering to year-round residents in the off-season with comfort foods such as braised lamb shank and pork tenderloin. Monday through Friday there are bargain meals, such as the All-You-Can-Eat Fish Fry on Mondays, a steal at $9.99, especially since the fish is day-boat fresh.

Dick knows he could get cheaper fish by purchasing off-Cape or frozen fish, but he believes that the best cod, haddock, lobsters, oysters, clams, scallops, fluke, and bass are found in the cold, clean waters off Cape Cod. Even more specifically, he prefers to buy his fish from day boats, rather than trip boats, which are sometimes at sea for up to 10 days, or huge trawlers, which catch fish in nets and have been blamed for depleting fish supplies.

Hearth 'n Kettle pays top dollars for hooked haddock fished off Chatham, but Dick believes that his customers can taste the difference. Customers may not know why the haddock tastes so good, but they have made it the top-selling item on the restaurant's menu. In season, Catania Hospitality Group purchases about 75,000 pounds of haddock each year from local fishermen.

Diners familiar with the Hearth 'n Kettle menu will notice that the Early Bird Specials, which used to be available only from 4:00-6:00 PM, have been replaced by what is called "The Lighter Side" which offers smaller portions of regular entrees at a lower price throughout the entire dinner service.
We recently had a tasty lunch at Hearth 'n Kettle in Hyannis. We started with Beef Barley Soup, which had a rich meaty taste in a lightly-thickened broth, and an excellent clam chowder, followed by Portuguese scallops (day-boat scallops and chorizo in a tomato broth) and the seafood medley. The fish in both entrees was as fresh tasting as promised and cooked to perfection.

With the Cape Cod Fresh campaign and wines available by the glass, Hearth 'n Kettle is hoping to appeal to a new category of diner beyond its traditional clientele: those former children who haven't been back since they ate breakfast with their family or college buddies. So, if you haven't been to Hearth 'n Kettle in a number of years, you should revisit this Cape Cod institution for an adult meal that is local, fresh, and delicious at a great price.

Hearth 'n Kettle Restaurants are located on Cape in Falmouth, Hyannis, Orleans, and Yarmouth and off Cape in Plymouth, S. Attleboro and Weymouth. For exact locations go to: www.hearthnkettle.com

Hearth 'n Kettle Creamed Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Dick Catania of Hearth and Kettle shared a recipe for a butternut squash soup that has been very popular when served at the restaurants. We found it really good and perfect for a dinner on a cold evening. The texture of the soup is quite elegant because it is strained at the end; for a more rustic soup just omit that step.

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs butternut squash (about 2 small ones)
1 lb apples (Cortand are ideal)
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1 quart chicken stock (homemade or low sodium commercial)
1/4 lb unsalted butter
3 TB pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp dry ginger
Salt and pepper to taste
A few scrapings of whole nutmeg
1 cup light cream

Method:
Peel butternut squash and cut into 1" cubes. Quarter apples. Combine squash, apples, and cinnamon in steamer and steam for about 15 minutes until squash is easily pierced with a paring knife. Remove squash mixture from steamer and run through a food mill. Place milled squash mixture in a soup pot. Add all other ingredients except cream and bring to a boil over high heat. When mixture boils reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for fifteen minutes. Put cream in separate saucepan and warm gently to just below boiling. Add cream to squash soup and heat briefly. Strain soup through a medium sieve pushing with a spatula. Taste to adjust seasoning. Serve.

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Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association

n 1991, a small group of commercial fishermen got together to discuss their plight; less fish and more fishing regulations were taking their toll on an industry that was already feeling threatened by coastal development and tourism. The group, whose families had plied their trade for generations, uses hooks and lines, which they believe do not adversely impact ocean habitats or needlessly kill juvenile or unwanted fish. They agreed it was time to mobilize and organize and, lo, Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association (CCCHFA) was born.

The mission of CCCHFA is to actively campaign for a healthy marine environment that enables a secure and viable future for sustainable commercial fisheries. To support its mission, in 1998 CCCHFA launched its Fisheries Reform Campaign, which identified specific policy initiatives and strategies for achieving the organization's objectives to protect undersea habitat, manage ecosystem-based fisheries, promote sustainable fishing communities, and reduce bycatch and waste in our fisheries.

Recently, CCCHFA has joined together with scientist, government agencies, and fisheries managers to form cooperative research partnerships. In collaboration with the National Marine Fisheries Service CCCHFA members are tagging and tracking cod populations, and testing electronic tracking technology that can rapidly transmit information - such as where they are fishing and what they catch - from fishing boats at sea to scientists and managers on shore. In addition, CCCHFA self-funded a study to prove that hook-and-line fishing can be used to catch healthy populations of haddock while avoiding depleted populations of cod.

CCCHFA also provides education programs for members and children in the community. The S.S. Shanty, where CCCHFA staff offices are located in North Chatham, is a community center where members can access a large selection of publications relating to the industry; review fishery management plans; or attend a workshop on such diverse topics as CPR, Internet training, writing, and public speaking. Through CCCHFA's Adopt-a-Boat programming, school children tour a bait-cutting shanty and fish market, and meet a fisherman who tells them fascinating stories of his life at sea.

CCCHFA, which is a non-profit organization, receives financial support from grants for cooperative research initiatives and from various foundations, such as Rockerfeller Brothers Fund, Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Community Foundation of Cape Cod; membership dues (it has over 1,800 members), and community fundraising. It's most successful fundraising activity is the annual Hookers Ball, a delirious mixture of local fishermen, summer residents, and visitors.

Richard Catania, Executive Chef at Hearth 'n Kettle restaurant chain, was attracted to the mission of CCCHFA from the very beginning. "We believe that the work of the CCCHFA is extremely important to the fishing industry and to the environment. They are preserving a tradition of fishing on Cape Cod, and they really are caretakers of local fishing grounds." Since its 2003 fundraising campaign, which earned them the Business Partnership Award from CCCHFA, the Catania Hospitality Group continues to help sponsor the Hookers' Ball.

For more information on Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association or to make a donation, go to www.ccchfa.org or call 508-945-2432.

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Cooking Up the Airwaves
Breaking Bread with Radio Personality Ali Berlow
By Doug Langeland

Ali Berlow

li Berlow is a writer and the author of "A Cook's Notebook" a weekly food essay that is broadcast on WCAI/NAN, the local public radio station in Woods Hole. We recently interviewed Ali over lunch, which she prepared for us at her lovely Victorian home on Martha's Vineyard. You can find a recipe for the salad pizza she served below.

Tell us about your cooking background and what inspired you as a cook.
Other than flipping burgers at a joint in Madison, Wisconsin where I grew up and working for an upscale caterer when I was in college, I didn't cook much until I became a stay-at-home mom. Staying at home I didn't know what to do with my creative energy. At the same time I met my friend Maggie, who was a trained chef and another stay-at-home mom with an infant. I would go to her house and watch her butcher sides of meat, make a chocolate ganache and the cake for our coffee klatch in the afternoon, while our babies rolled on the floor. I was inspired by the way she creatively and fearlessly approached food while nurturing her family.

How did you get started on the radio?
I started in November 2002 when I was volunteering at WCAI/WNAN. I had written a few commentaries about living on the Islands, but I realized that I wanted to write about food. I wasn't sure the station would care for that, but they gave me a 3-5 minute regular segment and made me commit to a weekly deadline. I agreed, maybe not knowing what I was doing!

What has the experience been like being on the radio?
In the studio I am usually with Viki Merrick, my producer and editor. We have the script in front of us and I'll say 'Hey Vik did 'ya hear about…." and tell her the story. She has taught me to write a story as if I was standing in my kitchen talking. You don't use four syllable words or a lot of adverbs.
The radio has been fantastic because it is about both the printed and the spoken word. My physical voice in the studio has been changing, as I get more comfortable at the microphone. My writing has taken on a different form than it would if I were writing for a magazine.

Do you listen to yourself on the radio?
I do because I want to hear what listeners are hearing. I do different takes in the studio and don't hear the final version before it's aired. Although, before it comes on I am standing in my pantry with my hands over my face saying 'Do I really want to hear it?'

How did you start writing?
I didn't really start writing until my children were two and four years old. I wrote only in a very private way. I never really considered myself a writer until I started at the radio station. Steve Young, who is the broadcast manager and a writer, really fostered the idea that I was a writer. I had figured that I was a writer like every waitress in New York is an actress. It took a long time for me, to proclaim 'I am a writer', to myself and to the world.

Where do you get your inspiration?
From all sorts of cookbooks, especially the headers above the recipes. They seem like little short stories with happy endings. Sometimes I'll get inspired when we are out to dinner and I overhear a conversation. I also read a lot of fiction. Lately I've been reading "Hash" by Torgny Lindgren, a Swedish novelist.

How do you define your writing?
I am a writer who writes about food not a chef who writes. My essays are frequently fictional. In my writing I am providing people with nuggets that are useful in the kitchen, not just talking about recipes.

I want to get into those moments when food and life intersect. I like to dig into spaces where it is not obvious or into the subtleties of the interactions between people while they are eating. For example, I might write about how a person felt peeling a plum one day.

You were recently selected to attend a writer's workshop.
Yes, I attended the Writers Colony in Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs Arkansas. The program is unique because it is the only place I know of that offers culinary writers space to cook and fellowships to write. My fellowship was provided by Tyson foods to foster writing about American home cooking. They gave me, God bless them, four weeks of uninterrupted creative time to do whatever I needed to do.

What was that experience like?
It was absolutely terrifying to be alone in a room full of writers. But they let writers do their own thing. I spent a lot of time wandering around town because I needed that social interaction. I wanted to see what people were eating, what they were doing. I love to go to restaurants just to watch. And then it was fabulous to go back to the colony and be fed and taken care of. Although I found myself cooking often as they have a beautiful renovated kitchen.

Ali Berlow and Kids

How do you balance experimenting with food and cooking for your children?
My kids have been exposed to lots of types of food. We had a funny incident where we went to a friend's house for pizza and my son Eli who is nine said, "Where is your truffle oil? Because that is what I like on my pizza."

Lots of times they just want a burger. But they try stuff; I think kids will try anything if you present it the right way. I mean it is fine if they don't like it and want to have a bowl of cereal.

Are you a gourmet?
NO. I mean I love food but I really try not to be judgmental about types of food - that is not my place. I eat foie gras when someone buys it for me. I love experimenting in the kitchen with esoteric ingredients or making ice cream and I'd love to learn how to make cheese. Food should be about what tastes good - the whole food snobbery thing makes me nuts.

What do you cook for comfort food?
When we come back from traveling and the house seems cold and not lived in, I will always do a simple roast chicken with onions, carrots, and garlic the first night. It always bring my house back to me.

Since you've become a radio food personality what new experiences have you had?
I have been treated very nicely in restaurants. It is a bummer when people don't invite me over for dinner because they think I am an expert. That is another trickle down thing from food snobbery. I always tell people I am NOT an expert, I am an adventurous home cook.

The first time a stranger said, 'I've heard your voice before. You are Ali Berlow!' I was looking around the room until I realized they meant ME! The best part is when people tell me that they have been touched by something I have written. When they relate one of my essays to something that happened in their life.

What food would you love to see available on the island?
I am still learning so much about it. I used to be a very lazy shopper. Now I have really started to learn where I can get better chickens or fresher produce. Lately goat milk and cheese making has me very excited. I'd also love to get a pig. We are incredibly spoiled. We need to learn to use more of what we have. That is why CSAs are so great. You get to eat what the ground has produced each week.

Can you share a favorite cookbook or a chef that inspires you?
I don't really have a specific favorite cookbook, but since Julia Child died I have gone back to read Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Growing up, our house was more of an Irma Rombauer [Joy of Cooking] house. So I was never really influenced by Julia Child and it is interesting to read now and see how she really was the mother of us all.

Do you ever get writer's block?
Whenever I get blocked I cook. That is where I go back to for my inspiration.

A Cook's Notebook airs Wednesdays at 7:35 AM and 12:30 PM and Saturdays at 9:35 AM on WCAI/WNAN. You can also read Ali's essays on line at www.cooksnotebook.com

Ali's Salad Pizza

If you've ever listened to Ali's segment on WCAI/NAN, you can hear her voice in the written words below. Ali got this recipe from her friend Kathy Forsythe who made it for a potluck. Ali claims that you don't need to use fresh mozzarella or the most expensive chevre for this pizza. Fresh mozzarella is too milky and will make the crust soggy. She does recommend yellow onions or Vidalia, if in season.

Wash and dry about 3-4 handfuls of arugula, removing any long stems. Tear, if you want, into sizes you like. Wash and slice Roma tomatoes like coins.

Whisk together a small amount of good olive oil and balsamic vinegar and set aside. Toss the arugula and tomatoes in the dressing only right before the pizza comes out of the oven because it'll get soggy if it sits in the dressing for a while.

Preheat oven to 450F with a pizza stone inside, heating up. A stone is strongly recommended but not compulsory. Assemble all the ingredients and have them ready: caramelized onions, shredded mozzarella, chevre, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, pepper, salad dressing, washed and dried arugula, sliced tomatoes.

Roll your pizza dough as thin as possible. Put it on the hot stone. Brush with a good olive oil and season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

Spread a layer of caramelized onions over and around the dough.

Sprinkle about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella and with your fingers - dot about 1/2 a small cylinder of chevre. Shave some parm over these cheeses. I use a sharp potato peeler to do this.

Bake for 7-10 minutes - until it gets crisp and golden brown. Then with a pizza peel if you've one, remove it and put it on a cutting board. Immediately spread it with the freshly tossed salad and season the whole thing with salt, pepper, and a few more shavings of parm. Serve and enjoy!

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Bhaa, Bhaa in Barnstable
By Doug Langeland

"Locally raised lamb is a thing of the past here on the Cape"
-The author to his wife Dianne, Spring 2004

uess again! As with so many foods on Cape Cod you have to ask around to find it. Dianne's hairdresser told her that lambs are being raised right along route 6A in West Barnstable. So armed with this "word of mouth" we contacted Greg and Cokie Hamm who own Border Bay Junction Farm. As a result we have been eating some of the best lamb we have ever tasted and spent time with two great people with a fascinating local story.

WILD AND WOOLY CAREERS

You do not often meet a couple with résumé that include teacher, travel agent, retail management, theatrical lighting designer, organic farmer, and shepherd, but those are just some of the professional "hats" that Greg and Cokie Hamm have worn over the past twenty seven years. Cokie has a degree in education and was a teacher briefly, and Greg studied technical theater and runs a business doing stage lighting for well-known bands like Harry Connick Jr's. In the late 1970s they left the East coast, where they grew up, and moved to Los Angeles to be closer to the bands Greg was working with. Unfortunately for Cokie, Proposition 13 had just passed in California and there were no teaching jobs to be had. Deciding that teaching may not be for her anyway, Cokie built a successful second career in retail management. After spending the summer in Truro the summer after Greg's father passed away, to be near Greg's mother, they found that they missed the east and soon moved back living in a series of condominiums in Boston. Most weekends, they found themselves going to the family home in Truro and began to fall in love with the Cape all over again.

The fall of 1991, the Hamm's bought their first Border Collie. If you're not familiar with this type of dog, Border Collies are bred to help shepherds move and manage livestock. To hone technique and compete strongly, the dogs need to practice daily around live sheep. So in addition to their family visits, the Hamm's found themselves coming to the Cape several times a week to a sheep farm in Sandwich to work their dogs. It was through these visits that their transition to becoming sheep farmers began in earnest.

To cut down on the amount of time they spent driving to the Cape, Cokie and Greg decided to move here. And, since the dogs were so much a part of the move, they thought they may as well buy enough land to start a sheep farm so their dogs could practice right at home. Their search led them to 10 acres on the north side of 6A, where it was love at first sight. The land, which they named Border Bay Junction Farm, was originally part of a 24-acre working dairy farm from 1909 to 1960. The old stonewall on their property was an ancient right of way used by farmers to get to the marshes to gather salt hay for livestock. It must have been love because with absolutely no farming experience, they purchased this land left in neglected condition. The pastures were overgrown with brush, the stonewalls were crumbling, and the barns had been destroyed by a developer who abandoned a project to build 16 houses on the site.

Greg and Cokie set to work and, largely by themselves, cleared the overgrowth, worked on the stonewalls, restored pastureland, and started an organic garden, which seems to expand every year. By the Hamms reckoning, they hauled several truckloads of debris and burned and cleared dead brush for one whole year. They also restored and expanded the house on the farm. Today they live in a spectacularly beautiful place with open green fields, and a beautiful home with drop-dead views of the salt marshes and the water beyond.

RAISING SHEEP

As they made progress restoring the land back to pasture, they also began to realize their vision of raising sheep naturally. Cokie and Greg knew they had a lot to learn. They started with a handful of sheep purchased from a local friend, Jean Kennedy, who with her husband had been sheep farmers for twenty-five years. Cokie laughs that "Jean would only give us a few until she saw how we fared". The Hamms had to master shearing wool and quickly spotting sheep that are poor mothers who won't tend to their offspring.

But birthing lambs was the biggest challenge. "For the most part, nature takes its course," says Greg, but sometimes there are complications. Early on, late one night Greg and Cokie found themselves, flashlight in hand, coming to the aide of a ewe with a breached lamb while reading instructions from a book called Raising Sheep the Modern Way. "Birthing was a bit intimidating the first time," confesses Cokie reflecting how she delivered the unborn lamb by the legs that night many years ago, but they have become very comfortable with it over time. Cokie knew she was truly accomplished when she delivered 12 lambs while Greg was away doing the lighting for a music tour.

The Hamms have learned a good deal in the past nine years and run an increasingly sophisticated operation. For example, they change rams every couple of years to promote genetic diversity and larger lambs. They are also experimenting with different breeds of ewes and can ramble off key genetic traits of each: Katahdins forage well and don't need to be sheared, a physically exhausting job; Romneys are a good size and have good muscle tone; Cheviots are bred to look after themselves, their ease of lambing and strong mothering instinct means fewer late nights helping deliver lambs. Their current ram, Newman Van Gogh, one "very happy ram" according to Cokie, is a mixture of Katahdin and Cheviot.

EATING WELL OFF OF THE LAND

Friends began asking if they could purchase the naturally raised lamb for personal use. Word spread and demand grew, so they have slowly expanded the operation and now raise about 30 lambs annually. From the start Greg and Cokie committed to running an organic farm. (Even the collies eat organic dog food.) Compost is used, no fertilizer and no chemicals. The lambs are raised on mother's milk then grass fed. For the two-three weeks before they are brought to market, the lambs are fed organic grain to marble the meat and add flavor and texture. The lambs are butchered at a custom slaughterhouse in Bridgewater, Massachusetts when they are about four to six months old.

The meat we purchased from Border Bay Junction was absolutely delicious. It was expertly butchered with the ribs cut in a French rack and the shoulder rolled and boned. The flavor is distinctly "lamb" but because it is young meat it is milder than most commercial lamb. It seems to have a slight saltiness that Greg says is due to the lambs grazing near to the sea. Cokie does not exaggerate when she points out that the meat can be cut with a fork.

Local chefs have discovered their lamb and are featuring it on their menus. (Please see a recipe Heather Allen of The Regatta in Cotuit shared with us below.)

MAKING THE FARM SUSTAINABLE

Despite the success, however, the farm remains a labor of love as well as a small business. Greg estimates that a farm the size of Border Bay Junction can produce less than 30 lambs annually, but that sheep farms only become profitable when they raise hundreds of animals. So to sustain the farm the Hamms work many angles. For example, it is simplest for farmers to sell their animals wholesale at auction. But while it takes more work, the Hamm's get a better price by selling directly to consumers and local restaurants. They are significantly expanding their organic garden and are providing vegetables to local restaurants. They appreciate restaurants that allow them to deliver to the kitchen door with the day's best vegetables and then create a special to feature it - the Naked Oyster in Hyannis in one of their customers. Fleeces are given to local spinners in exchange for local eggs, honey and soap. All the creatures on the farm are put to work: the sheep are hired out to help mow local fields (you may see them around Scudder Lane and Bone Hill Farm in Barnstable) and some of the dogs are hired by local golf courses to chase geese away.

BUY SOME LOCAL LAMB

In addition to getting some great lamb we found ourselves admiring Greg and Cokie Hamm a lot. They are restoring and sustaining a tradition of raising lambs on Cape Cod that is centuries old, and, for the most part, are having fun while doing it. To quote Cokie the first time we spoke with her, "Most people buy a sports car when they have a mid-life crisis. We started a sheep farm and we've never been healthier or happier."

The Hamms will be taking lamb orders for next spring. You can email them at Borderbayfarm@aol.com.

Border Bay Junction Farm Roasted, Stuffed Lamb Shoulder

Greg Hamm at Border Bay Junction Farm is a passionate cook. When we visited with them, Cokie raved about a rolled shoulder roast Greg had recently prepared. He shared the recipe with us and, Cokie is right, this is absolutely delicious - the mushroom stuffing adds an elegant dimension to the lamb.

Ingredients:
1 cup minced onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms
2 TB butter
1 TB olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
1 TB fresh thyme chopped
Salt and pepper
1 boned shoulder of lamb-about 3.5 pounds
Additional olive oil

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Chop mushrooms finely or cut up and pulse in food processor until the pieces are the size of small pebbles. Heat butter and olive oil in pan over medium heat until butter foams and subsides. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent - about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and lemon juice and stir for 5 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs, stir to combine and remove from heat. Add parsley and thyme and set aside.

Lay lamb fat side down on a flat surface. Salt and pepper lamb liberally. Spoon mushroom filling onto the lamb and spread to cover lamb as evenly as possible. Roll the lamb to surround the filling. This may be a little messy as the filling will squirt out, but stick with it and make it as neat as possible. Tie the rolled roast in several places with kitchen twine. Rub the roast with olive oil.

Place roast fat side up on a rack in a small roasting pan and put in the oven. Roast for about an hour and fifteen minutes until the center of the roll reaches 125 degrees on a meat thermometer (this will yield medium rare meat). Remove roast and tent with foil and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Untie roast, slice carefully across the roast and serve.

5-Mile Lamb Chops with Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic

Although there appear to be a lot of steps in this recipe, it can be prepared in about 45 minutes. It is '5 mile' because all of the ingredients, except the olive oil, were produced within 5 miles of our kitchen in Cummaquid.

Ingredients:
One medium butternut squash
One head of garlic (about 12 cloves)
4 inch sprig of fresh rosemary
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 rib lamb chops-bones cleaned
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Salt & pepper
Additional olive oil

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Separate garlic cloves, but leave peels on. Put cloves together with olive oil and rosemary sprig in small heavy saucepan with lid; place pan uncovered over medium heat until garlic just starts to sizzle. Turn heat down to low and cover with lid. Cook gently until garlic is easily pierced with a paring knife - about 20 minutes. Do not let garlic burn! Remove rosemary sprig and discard. Remove garlic cloves from oil, let them cool, and then peel; the peels should virtually fall off. Reserve garlic and oil separately.

While garlic is cooking, peel butternut squash and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Place squash in roasting pan, lightly coat it with olive oil, salt and pepper, and place in preheated oven. Roast until the squash can be pierced easily with a fork and is lightly browned - about 30 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Pat lamb chops dry with paper towels and salt and pepper generously. Place large skillet over medium high heat (you don't want to crowd the chops); add 1 tbsp olive oil and lamb chops. Sear on one side for 4 minutes and turn. Sear other side for about 2 minutes for rare or 4 minutes for medium. Remove lamb to heated plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes

Arrange roasted squash on dinner plates. Place lamb chops on top and garnish with the roasted garlic cloves. Drizzle reserved garlic oil over the lamb.

Serves 2

Papparadelle with Lamb

Cape chefs have heard about the lamb from Border Bay Junction Farm and have been creating menus to feature it. Chef Heather Allen at The Regatta in Cotuit created this delicious recipe, a favorite of Greg and Cokie Hamm. We tried it one of the first cold nights of the season and it really hit the spot.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground lamb
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 cups canned tomatoes
1 bay leaf
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste
1 lb dried pappardelle pasta
2 tbsp fresh basil

Method:
Sauté lamb over medium-high heat to about medium rare. Add mushrooms, onions, and garlic; sweat until onions are translucent. Add bay leaf, crushed red pepper flakes, and whipping cream.
Bring to a simmer for a few minutes, until cream is reduced by half.

Using your hands, crush tomatoes into lamb mixture. Bring back to simmer over medium-high heat. Lower and gently simmer for an hour stirring frequently. Remove bay leaf. Taste carefully and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of water (at least 5 quarts) to a full boil. Salt water liberally. When lamb sauce is almost done add pasta to rapidly boiling water. Cook pasta until tender but firm. Drain pasta and add to the pan with the lamb mixture. Stir gently to lightly coat the pasta with the sauce. Add chopped basil and serve with a rich red wine.

Serve over herbed Pappardelle pasta.

Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a pasta course

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