Marinated Lamb and Potatoes on Rosemary Skewers

(Courtesy of Carol Arnold at Foothills Farmers’ Market Association)

Ingredients:

• 6 8-inch sprigs of fresh rosemary (Snow’s Citrus Court)
• Mandarin Orange Marinade (Snow’s Citrus Court)
• 3/4-pound lamb sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes (Flying Mule Ranch)
• 1/4 red onion, cut into 1-inch square pieces
• 18 small Rose Finn apple fingerling potatoes, washed (Twin Brooks Farm)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:
Strip off all but two inches of the rosemary leaves. Soak skewers in water for 1/2 hour before using. Toss lamb with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Boil potatoes in lightly salted water for 8 minutes. Toss with olive oil and a dash of salt. When ready to assemble, skewer lamb, potatoes and onions, alternating each until rosemary skewer is full. Repeat. Barbecue the skewers on medium-high heat for 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare lamb.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy

Ingredients:

• 2 heads red bok choy, rinsed clean and dried (Natural Trading Company)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Rough chop bok choy, about 1-inch pieces. Heat olive oil in pan and cook garlic on medium heat for 1 minute. Do not brown the garlic. Add bok choy to pan. Lightly salt and pepper. Stir-fry just until the bok choy wilts and thick white ends soften, about 2 to 4 minutes. Place bok choy on platter, top with skewers and serve.

Sautéed Pork Chops with Thyme and Apple Slices

(Courtesy of Carol Arnold at Foothills Farmers’ Market Association)

1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
8 extra thin loin pork chops (1/2 inch)
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
16 sprigs of fresh thyme (more for garnish)
2 Gala apples, washed, unpeeled, cut into 12 pieces each (24 total)

Combine flour with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the pork chops in the flour. Next, heat half the butter and oil in a large skillet. Sauté half of the chops for 3-5 minutes on each side. While cooking, place a sprig of thyme under each chop so the herb will stick to the meat. Remove the chops and keep warm. Add the remaining butter and oil to the pan and cook the rest of the chops the same way. Remove and keep warm along with the previous batch. Using the same skillet, sauté the apples for 2 minutes or until soft. Arrange chops and apples on serving dish. Garnish with fresh thyme. Serves 4-6

Braised Short Ribs

(Courtesy of Carol Arnold Foothills Farmers’ Market Association)

• 4 pounds beef short ribs, bone in
• Salt and black pepper
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced 6 cloves garlic, rough chopped
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 6 Roma-style tomatoes, seeded and quartered
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 small fresh thyme sprigs
• 3 small fresh rosemary sprigs

Trim the beef short ribs of any extra fat on the bone side. Season the ribs all over with salt and pepper.
Heat broiler to high. Place the ribs on a broiler pan or cookie sheet. Broil the ribs for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until well browned. Set aside. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Place a heavy bottomed Dutch oven on the stove and add the oil. Add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic to the pan. Cook the vegetables and stir often until browned. Add the wine and vinegar to the pan. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan clean. Reduce the liquid by 1/3. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, thyme and rosemary to the pot. Add the ribs and bring the liquid to a boil. The liquid should cover the ribs. Add more chicken stock if you need additional liquid. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Cook the ribs until fork tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours; the kitchen fork should easily go into the ribs without any resistance. Remove the ribs from the pan. If serving the ribs that day, keep them warm. Using a ladle or spoon, remove the clear fat on the surface of the sauce. Reduce the sauce a little until it becomes more flavorful and thick. It should be able to coat the back of a spoon. Add the ribs back to the pan and serve.

Farmers’ Market Swiss Chard Frittata

(Courtesy of Carol Arnold at Foothills Farmers’ Market Association)

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 yellow or red onion, diced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large bunch red, green, or rainbow Swiss chard, washed and spun dry
• 3 jumbo or 4 large eggs, well beaten
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch non-stick pan. Add onions and sauté gently until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic to onions. Cook for another minute. Add Swiss chard and cook for 5 or 6 minutes until softened. Add Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to beaten egg. Pour over cooked vegetables. Cook for 6 minutes on medium heat. At this time you can run the pan under the broiler to cook the top. If you are feeling confident, slide the frittata to a plate, cover the plate with the upside down pan and flip the frittata to the pan from the plate. Cook until firm, about 3 more minutes. Can be served hot or room temperature, great cut up into squares and served as a hors d’oeuvre.